Several years ago, the Forks Elks Lodge #2524 learned of the dictionary project and decided to purchase dictionaries for West End third graders. Both the teachers and students look forward to this event every year. The Elks feel that this is one of the best projects to serve the needs of our children.

The dictionaries were purchased with money from the Elks’ 1 percent program. On Nov. 16, the Elks donated 85 dictionaries to the Forks Elementary School third-grade classes, and 36 dictionaries to the Neah Bay Elementary School third-grade classes, and 25 dictionaries to the Clallam Bay School third- grade class, and 16 dictionaries to the Quileute Tribal School third-grade class and 17 dictionaries to the Queets-Clearwater School.

The children really enjoyed receiving their own dictionaries and they were excited to learn about all the different topics that are in them. The teachers in each class room also received new dictionaries and they were very thankful to the Elks Lodge for donating the Dictionaries to the Schools.

The Dictionary Project, headquartered in Charleston, S.C. was founded by Mary French in (1995). The Elks and other non-profit organizations across the nation participate in the distribution of more than 2 million dictionaries a year.

The Elks also delivered drug awareness coloring books, book markers and bracelets to all of the schools to help inform the Children about the dangers of using drugs.