Putnam County third graders receive dictionaries from Rotarians

Putnam County third graders were presented with personal dictionaries Sept. 19, compliments of the Putnam County Rotary Club.

Rotarians were on hand not only to distribute the books but also to challenge the students with word-find games and a guided tour of the other treasures to be found in their dictionaries. Students were eager to compete to follow word clues and enjoyed finding and learning new words during the presentation.

Rotarians also explained the bookplate on which each wrote his or her name, bearing the Rotary “four-way test,” which emphasizes the importance of being truthful, being fair to all concerned and being friendly, while always acting in a manner that will be beneficial to all concerned. And if students did not know the meaning of the word “beneficial,” they can now look it up.

PC Rotary, in partnership with the Putnam County Library, also will make dictionaries available to home-schooled students. Families can contact Rotarian Matt Miller at PC Library’s Hennepin headquarters by calling 815-339-2038.

This marks the 18th year of participation in the Dictionaries Project, a part of the Rotary’s worldwide support of literacy and learning. Spanish-English dictionaries are made available, as well, for bilingual students.

Volunteers are needed for additional literacy projects, including Rotary Readers in the primary and elementary schools. To volunteer, email PutnamCountyRotary@gmail.com.

All are invited to attend the Rotary’s Oktoberfest from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at Lost Duck Tavern in Granville to learn more about Rotary and how you can help as a volunteer or member. Free pizza and German pretzels, mustards and beer cheese, as well as a cash bar with German and domestic beers and German root beer, will be available.