A “HOW TO” MANUAL
TO SET UP A
“DICTIONARY + PROJECT”
FOR YOUR
ROTARY CLUB
PREPARED FOR 2008 BY
ROTARIAN DWIGHT GROTEWOLD
10502 EAST NAVAJO PLACE
SUN LAKS, AZ 85248
THE “DICTIONARY + PROJECT”
Dwight Grotewold
District Chairperson—5510
10502 East Navajo Place
Sun Lakes, AZ 85248
WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY TO YOUR ROTARY CLUB BE?
Dear Club Presidents and ADG’s:
Nearly every person who has ever been a President of a Rotary Club is faced with deciding what legacy they will leave to their club upon the completion of their term in office. It may be an international project; it may be a larger contribution to the RI Foundation; it may be an increase in club membership, and on, and on. We want to visit with you about ‘The Dictionary Project’ with the hope that you may consider this as one of your most important possible legacies.
This Community Service program has proven to be extremely successful over the past four years. It has grown from giving yearly approximately 4,500 dictionaries “free of charge” to third graders throughout the District, to about 30,000! Your Rotary Club may already be involved in this program, and we hope you will continue to participate. If you are not presently participating, we are hopeful that this “How To Manual” will encourage you to begin planning for your participation during your term as President.
Incoming District Governor Don La Barge is 100% in favor of this project, and he has promised to encourage ALL of our District 5510 clubs to become involved. This is truly a “Win-Win” program for all who participate. The students benefit, the teachers benefit, the schools benefit, the parents benefit, and YOUR Rotary Club will benefit! This program will carry the name of Rotary International into some 30,000 homes in our District this year if we can get all of our clubs involved. Please help make this a great year for District 5510.
Yours in Rotary service,
Dwight Grotewold
THE DICTIONARY PROJECT + NEWSLETTER
FOR THE YEAR 2008 LITERACY CHAIR; DWIGHT GROTEWOLD
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This Newsletter is being prepared to give you a broad and general overview of this outstanding Community Service project. We hope that if you have been involved in the past that you will continue your participation. Or if you have not been involved, that you will decide to do so this year. In past years the response from our clubs in District 5510 has been overwhelmingly positive.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY BE TO YOUR ROTARY CLUB? Nearly every new President wants to leave “their mark” with a special program. This is an excellent opportunity to assist the third-graders in your community to get off to a good start in gaining reading skills.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE DICTIONARY PROJECT? The greatest benefit will be to the students as the third grade is a critical time for forming good reading habits. The fact that each student will have their own personal dictionary will allow their teachers to give them special assignments directly related to reading and dictionary skills. The schools benefit because to furnish each student with a personal dictionary would be very expensive. The parents benefit as well as the brothers and sisters of the students. Your Rotary Club will benefit because this will carry the name of Rotary International into thousands of homes this year. This is a great opportunity to help the students become better readers, better speakers, better spellers.
WHAT IS THE COST OF THIS PROGRAM? Each dictionary will cost your club only $1.70 plus approximately .40 cents to purchase a Rotary emblem seal, a Rotary Four-Way Test bookmark, and the Four-Way donor recognition sticker that goes in the front pages of each dictionary.
WHERE CAN YOU READ MORE ABOUT THIS OUTSTANDING PROGRAM? Go to your computer internet program and type in
. It will give you all of the basic information on how to order your supply as well as when they should be ordered. It usually takes about two weeks before they are shipped from the supplier.
HOW CAN THE FUNDS BE RAISED FOR THIS PROGRAM? The various sources are:
- Your Rotary Club
- Your Rotary Club members who may want to contribute
- Your local school district
- Individuals or businesses in your community
- The local PTA or Teacher’s Association if one in your community
- Sam’s Clubs, Wal-Mart stores, local chain stores, utilities.
Always point out to your donors that their names will be on the donor recognition sticker in every dictionary.
IS THERE ANY FINANCIAL MATCHING MONEY AVAILABLE FOR CLUBS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE BUT SIMPLY CANNOT RAISE ENOUGH FUNDS? Yes, there is a limited amount of matching funds available. However, your first sources are listed above. All participating clubs are urged and expected to raise all of the needed funds if at all possible. It appears that about 75% of our District 5510 clubs are presently involved and our goal is to make that 100%!
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET PUBLICITY FOR THIS PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY!! Be certain to involve your local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations if available. Photographs of the students receiving their dictionaries will generally be more easily accepted for publication than any other pictures. A photo, along with your news article, will attract more readers so we suggest trying to use both.
COULD THIS ATTRACT POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS? Yes, invite your newest members as well as any potential members to go with your members when they visit the schools to present the dictionaries to the students. It is very convincing to possible members who may consider joining to see the outstanding reception the students and teachers give to this program.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR AS PRESIDENT, AND THAT THE DICTIONARY PROJECT MAY BE YOUR LEGACY WHETHER STARTING IT OR CONTINUING IT. LET US KNOW IF WE CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE.
Dwight Grotewold
Sun Lakes Rotary Club
SAMPLE DICTIONARY PROJECT SCRIPT
THIS IS JUST A “SAMPLE SCRIPT” AND YOUR MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE ALL, PART, OR NONE OF IT. THEY SHOULD DO WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE…..INJECT THEIR OWN PERSONALITY SO IT “BELONGS TO THEM.”
IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE PRESENTER SHOULD DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO GO TO THE INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS OR WHETHER THEY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE ALL THIRD-GRADERS BROUGHT TO ONE CENTRAL LOCATION WHERE ONE PRESENTATION WILL COVER ALL OF THE THIRD-GRADE CLASSES. ALSO, PLEASE CONSIDER WHEN YOU CALL THE SCHOOL FOR YOUR DATE, TIME, AND PLACE, THAT YOU CONSIDER ASKING THE TEACHERS TO HAVE THE STUDENTS BRING A PENCIL TO THE MEETING SO THEY CAN WRITE THEIR NAMES IN THEIR DICTIONARIES.
GOOD MORNING: MY NAME IS______AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE ______ROTARY CLUB. HOW MANY OF YOU LOVE TO READ? THAT’S WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE THINK READING MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL YOU WILL EVER LEARN. TODAY IS GOING TO BE A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR YOU BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR OWN PERSONAL DICTIONARY. IT’S ALSO VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE ONLY THE THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN A DICTIONARY TODAY…NO OTHER CLASSES WILL GET THEM!!
BEFORE WE GIVE YOU YOUR DICTIONARY, WE WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL. WE ARE A GROUP OF ABOUT 1,200,000 VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO DO THINGS FOR OTHERS EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY….GIVING YOU A FREE REFERENCE DICTIONARY THAT WE HOPE WILL HELP MAKE YOU A BETTER READER, A BETTER SPELLER, A BETTER THINKER, A BETTER SPEAKER, AND A BETTER STUDENT. WE EXPECT THAT YOU WILL USE IT EVERY DAY!
AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE TEACHERS COME FORWARD AND PASS OUT DICTIONARIES TO EACH ONE OF YOU. PLEASE OPEN YOUR DICTIONARY AND YOU WILL SEE THE ROTARY FOUR-WAY TEST. LET’S READ THAT OUT LOUD TOGETHER. YOU PROBABLY FOUND AT LEAST ONE BIG WORD THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW……”BENEFICIAL”….WHEN YOU GET BACK TO YOUR CLASSROOM PLEASE LOOK UP THE MEANING OF THAT WORD….THAT IS HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR DICTIONARY EVERY DAY AS YOU ARE READING AND YOU COME ACROSS A WORD YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE…LOOK THEM UP!!
IN THE INSIDE OF YOUR DICTIONARY YOU WILL FIND THE NAMES OF THOSE PERSONS OR BUSINESSES WHO CONTRIBUTED MONEY SO YOU COULD RECEIVE THIS FINE GIFT. THERE IS A SPACE THERE WHERE YOU CAN NOW WRITE OR PRINT YOUR NAME TO SHOW THAT THIS IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL DICTIONARY.
NOW LET’S TAKE A QUICK “JOURNEY” THROUGH YOUR DICTIONARY BECAUSE THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN MOST DICTIONARIES.
TURN TO PAGE 46 AND FIND THE WORD “BROWSE.” THAT IS WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO…BROWSE THROUGH THIS BOOK AND LEARN WHAT IS IN IT AND HOW TO USE IT.
TURN NOW TO PAGE 367 TO THE MULTIPICATION TABLE. GIVE SOME EXAMPLES LIKE “9 X 8” AND SHOW HOW TO USE IT.
NOW TO PAGE 367 TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. WHAT IS THE CONSTITUTION AND WHY DO WE HAVE IT?
ON PAGE 398 YOU WILL FIND THE FIRST INFORMATIONABOUT ALL OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES….DISCUSS BRIEFLY.
WHO CAN NAME ALL OF THE CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD? SEE PAGE 447. SAME ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM..PAGE 516.
TURN TO THE LAST PAGE AND FIND THE LONGEST WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. IT IS A MEDICAL/CHECMICAL WORD WITH OVER 19,000 LETTERS!!! LET’S HOPE THAT IS NOT ASSIGNED AS A SPELLING WORD SOME WEEK!!
………………………………………………………………………………………………
FINAL WORDS TO THE PRESENTERS OF THE DICTIONARIES
THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SPECIAL PROJECT THAT YOU CAN REALLY ENJOY AND SEE IMMEDIATE RESULTS!! YOU HAVE MADE SOME STUDENTS VERY HAPPY TODAY, ALONG WITH THEIR TEACHERS AND PARENTS. WITHOUT YOUR HELP THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE.
PLEASE BE CERTAIN TO GIVE EACH TEACHER A COPY OF THE “DEARTEACHER” LETTER AND THE SAMPLE LESSON THAT IS INCLUDED WITH THIS PACKET. BE SURE TO PUT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT LETTER SO THE STUDENTS CAN WRITE YOU A “THANK YOU” NOTE FOR THIS LASTING EDUCATIONAL GIFT.
GIVE EACH TEACHER THREE EXTRA DICTIONARIES FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE CLASS DURING THE YEAR. ALSO LEAVE THREE COPIES FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY.
EDUCATION LEADS TO OPPORTUNITY
SUGGESTED LESSON
You have been given a very valuable tool today that can help you to become a better speller, a better speaker, a better writer, and a better student. We hope you will keep this dictionary with you as you read and study. When you find a word that you do not know the meaning of, take time to look it up so the the next time you see it you will understand its meaning as well as how to use it yourself.
TO HELP YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL DICTIONARY, WE HAVE PREPARED A SHORT LESSON THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU COMPLETE AND RETURN TO YOUR TEAHER. IT IS EASY AND FUN TO DO.
- What is the meaning of the word ‘educate?’
- What is the meaning of the word ‘courtesy?’
- What is the meaning of the word ‘knowledge?’
- Where was the 24th President of the United States born?
- What is the Arizona state bird?
- What is the population of the state of Arizona?
- What city is the capital of the country of France?
- What is the constitution of the United States?
- What is the name of the largest planet in the Universe?
- What are the names of the continents of the world?
WE HOPE YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT HOW TO USE YOUR OWN PERSONAL REFERENCE DICTIONARY. IF YOU KEEP IT WITH YOU AND USE IT REGULARLY YOU WILL BECOME A “STAR STUDENT.”
YOUE NAME:______
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 5510
YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM
GRANT APPLICATION FORM
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE
Sponsoring Rotary Club:______
Is this a new project or program for your club?______
Name of Rotarian responsible for this program?______
Her/his telephone # (_____) ______E-mail:______
Mailing address?______
City, state, zip?______
Description and location of proposed program?
Who will benefit from the project of program?
How many Rotarians are expected to participate in this program?
How will they participate?
Anticipated cost of the program? $______Amount of funds your club will contribute? $______Amount of Matching Funds requested of the Youth Services Committee? $______
Estimated completion date of the program?_____/______/______
It is understood that the terms of this grant require the Rotary Club to submit a complete program/project report (Including an accounting of the use of funds) along with digital phtos within 30 days of the estimated date of completion.
Signature of Rotarian responsible for this program:______
Signature of Rotary Club President:______
Date signed:______
Complete and return to
Sandy Blackwell
Chairman Designate
Youth Services Committee
P.O. Box 50726
Phoenix, AZ 85076
THE DICTIONARY + PROJECT
DICTIONARY ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS
ROTARY YEAR 2008
PLEASE COMPLETE AND SEND THIS FORM ALONG WITH YOUR CHECK FOR $1.70 PER DICTIONARY TO:
THE DICTIONARY PROJECT
P.O. BOX 18456
CHARLESTON, SC 29402
PLEASE SHIP______COPIES OF ‘A STUDENT’S DICTIONARY TO:
YOUR NAME:______
YOUR ROTARY CLUB:______
SHIPPING ADDRESS:______
CITY,STATE, ZIP:______
YOUR E-MAIL:______
YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER/S:______
A CHECK IN THE AMOUNT OF $______IS ENCLOSED FOR______(#) DICTIONARIES AT $1.70 EACH.
YOUR SIGNATURE:______DATE:______
ALLOW ABOUT TWO WEEKS FOR DELIVERY. USE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS. BOOKS MUST BE ORDERED BY THE BOX OF 24…LESS THAN 24 ORDERS CANNOT BE FILLED. SORRY.
HERE ARE THE STEPS WE SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW IN SETTING UP AND IMPLEMENTING “THE DICTIONARY
PROJECT FOR YOUR ROTARY CLUB
STEP 1: GO TO THE INTERNET AND TYPE IN ‘THE DICTIONARY PROJECT’ AND READ ABOUT THIS OUTSTANDING PROGRAM.
STEP 2: PRESENT A PROPOSAL TO YOUR ROTARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SECURE THEIR APPROVAL TO START OR CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. REQUEST FUNDING FROM YOUR CLUB AT THAT TIME
STEP 3: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ABOUT YOUR PROJECT TO FURNISH ALL THIRD-GRADERS THEIR OWN PERSONAL DICTIONARY AT NO CHARGE TO THE SCHOOLS. TAKE ALONG A SAMPLE DICTIONARY TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE. IF APPROVAL GIVEN, ASK FOR A LISTING OF ALL OF THE THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOMS, THE NAME OF THE TEACHER, ALONG WITH THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER. EXPLAIN THAT YOUR ROTARIANS WILL CALL AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TIME TO PRESENT THE DICTIONARIES TO THE STUDENTS.
STEP 4: SEEK THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM. GOOD SOURCES ARE:
- YOUR ROTARY CLUB
- MEMBERS OF YOUR CLUB WHO WANT TO CONTRIBUTE
- LOCAL PTO CLUB/S IF YOU HAVE THEM
- LOCAL BUSINESSES SUCH AS GROCERY STORES OR CHAINS, BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT PROGRAMS SUCH AS THIS….LAW FIRMS, UTILITIES, FOUNDATIONS
- LOCAL WAL-MART STORES, SAM’S CLUB: MOST HAVE SPECIAL FUNDING FOR THE SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS THIS
- CONSIDER PREPARING A SPECIAL FORM THAT WOULD ALLOW YOUR MEMBERS OR LOCAL BUSINESSES TO SPONSOR A PARTICULAR CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL.
WE EXPECT THAT MOST ROTARY CLUBS WILL RAISE ALL OF THE NECESSARY FUNDING. HOWEVER, IF YOU FIND THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO, CONSIDER APPLYING FOR A MATCHING FUND ALLOCATION FROM THE YOUTH SERVICES COMMITTEE OF OUR DISTRICT 5510. THE FORM MAY BE DOWNLOADED FROM OUR DISTRICT WEB SITE OR YOU MAY USE THE ONE FURNISHED WITH THIS INFORMATION.
STEP 5: ORDER THE NUMBER OF DICTIONARIES YOU WILL NEED. ALWAYS ORDER 3 EXTRAS TO BE GIVEN TO EACH TEACHER FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AS WELL AS 3 OR MORE FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY.
STEP 6: ISSUE A REQUEST IN YOUR CLUB FOR VOLUNTEERS TO PLACE THE STICKERS ON THE DICTIONARIES AS WELL AS TO PRESENT THEM IN THE SCHOOLS TO THE STUDENTS. CONSIDER INCLUDING ROTARY SPOUSES AS POSSIBLE PRESENTERS AS MANY WOULD DO AN EXCELLENT JOB.
STEP 7: SET UP A “TRAINING SESSION” FOR YOUR PRESENTERS, ESPECIALLY IF MANY ARE GOING TO DO THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
STEP 7: WHEN ALL SEEMS TO BE IN ORDER, REQUEST THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT SEND AN E-MAIL OR LETTER TO EACH SCHOOL AND TO EACH PRINCIPAL AND THIRD-GRADE TEACHER TELLING THEM THAT A ROTARIAN WILL BE CALLING TO SCHEDULE A DELIVERY DATE WHEN THE DICTIONARIES WILL BE GIVEN TO THE STUDENTS. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AGREE TO JUST “DROP THE DICTIONARIES” OFF TO BE GIVEN OUT BY THE TEACHERS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AND EXPENSIVE PROJECT THAT NEEDS A PERSONAL PRESENTATION OF THE DICTIONARIES TO THE STUDENTS BY A TRAINED ROTARIAN.
STEP 8: IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU SET UP A “STICKER PARTY” AT WHICH ALL OF THE DICTIONARIES ARE PREPARED FOR DELIVERY WITH THE ROTARY WHEEL EMBLEM, THE BOOKMARK, AND THE FOUR-WAY TEST DONOR STICKER IN PLACE. THEN ARRANGE FOR YOUR “PRESENTERS” TO COME AND PICK UP THE DICTIONARIES THEY WILL BE DELIVERING.
STEP 9: THIS PAST YEAR SOME CLUBS ORDERED SPECIAL ENGLISH/SPANISH, SPANISH/ENGLISH DICTIONARIES TO BE GIVEN TO THE TEACHERS. THEY WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED. INFORMATION ABOUT THESE SPECIAL DICTIONARIES MAY BE FOUND AT THE DICTIONARY PROJECT WEB SITE.
THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED FOR CONTINUING YOUR PROGRAM, OR SETTING IT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME, FOR YOUR ROTARY CLUB. WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE THAT WOULD MAKE THIS PROGRAM MORE EFFECTIVE. WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN CARRYING OUT THIS OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT.