Annual Projects

Annual Projects

Elks Hoop Shoot

One of the Order's most impressive youth programs is the Elks "Hoop Shoot" National Free Throw Contest. With more than 3 million participants annually, ages 8-13, the odds of making it to the championship round of the Elks "Hoop Shoot" are more than 40,000 to 1. The odds of capturing one of the six national titles that are up for grabs each year are more than 500,000 to one!

At an Elks "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest, boys and girls in one of three age-groups, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, attempt to sink 25 free throws--10 in the first round, 15 in the second, with ties being resolved by five-shot shoot-offs. The competition's fierce, but fun. And that's one reason that the Elks "Hoop Shoot" has grown, since 1946, from a local youth activity at Corvallis, Oregon, Elks Lodge to the largest coeducational sports program in the country. This year (2007) the Lodge will sponsor the event at Mission Viejo High School gym , November 17 & 18 at 12 to 4 PM.

July 4th Mission Viejo Street Faire

Purple Pig Fund Raiser for Handicapped Children

Did you Know?

* The Elks provided over $160 million in charitable works last year.

* Over $3.4 million in college scholarships is awarded annually by the Elks.

Click on the following for application:

Legacy2006OnlineApp.DOC

Legacy2006OnlineApp.pdf

Click on the following for application:

MVS2006OnlineApp.DOC

MVS2006OnlineApp.pdf

California-Hawall Elks Major Project

For complete details of this Project download the following brochure:

Click here> Major_Project.pdf

SCHOOL DICTIONARY PROGRAM

THIRD GRADERS

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Mission Viejo`s Viejo Elementary School third-graders get free dictionaries

Elks Lodge spends about $47,000 to buy more than 27,000 dictionaries for O.C. third-graders.

By: ERIKA I. RITCHIE The Orange County Register

Monday, October 15, 2007

Donor: Mission Viejo Elks Lodge

Mission Viejo`s Viejo Elementary School third-graders get free dictionaries GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE: Andy Costello (center) and other members of The Mission Viejo Saddleback Valley Elks hand out dictionaries to eager third-graders. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MISSION VIEJO – When Andrea Arreola got her free dictionary, she quickly found a page with sign language.

`It`s cool to know how to do it,` said the bright-eyed 8-year-old, who instantly practiced what she saw. `I`m going to use the dictionary to learn more words and write them in cursive – I love writing cursive.`

Andrea was one of 50 third-graders at Viejo Elementary who last week got free dictionaries from the Mission Viejo Elks Lodge. More dictionaries will be passed out this week to schools in La Habra, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Tustin. In all, more than 27,000 dictionaries will be distributed this year by 10 Orange County Elks Lodges to 240 schools in the county. The service group, dedicated to helping handicapped children, raised about $47,000 through bingo to fund the books.

The Dictionary Project – part of a national effort promoting active reading and creative thinking – was founded in South Carolina in 1995. The Elks distributed their first batch of 18,500 dictionaries to Orange County elementary schools last year.

Andy Costello, a district chairman with the Elks, still remembers the Webster`s Pocket Dictionary he got years ago. It was in his Christmas stocking among fruit and 10-cent toys. For years he carried it with him.

`It became my constant companion until it was finally worn and tattered,` said the 72-year-old Laguna Hills resident. `That was well into my high school years. I retired it to my special shoe box along with my graduation tassel, my broken first wristwatch and other assorted bits of youthful treasures.`

The colorful dictionaries were an instant hit with the students at the Viejo Elementary. Many couldn`t believe the books were theirs to keep.

`It`s very important that you use it every day,` Pat Martino, chairman of the project at the Mission Viejo Elks Lodge, told the students. `Try to find a new word and use it.`

The 512-page dictionaries include the planets, the 50 states, the Declaration of Independence and the longest word in the English language – 1,909 letters long — defining a protein and amino-acid formula.

Manuel Aguirre, 8, didn`t wait long to tackle that word. He leafed to the back of the book and found it.

`It`s just a ton of letters,` he exclaimed. `I might not have enough time to sound it out or enough breath to say it.`

Jake Merk, 8, started on page one.

`I think it`s easier to use than the computer,` he said. `On a computer you have to move the mouse everywhere and click on things. Here I can just start reading.`

Viejo Elementary – one of eight schools geared toward lower-income students and English learners in the Capistrano Unified School District – last year exceeded state academic goals. School officials say the dictionaries are an invaluable asset.

`It`s important because many of our students` parents can`t afford books,` said Scott Bowman, an assistant principal who teaches fifth grade. `Many struggle just to provide clothes and school supplies. Most parents work multiple jobs.`

Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. Dictionary use is often part of the curriculum in this grade.

`Some students are still learning English,` said third-grade teacher Suzy Griffen. `There are words we assume they know, but they may not know and can now look up in the dictionary. It`s a great resource for parents and students.`

After school Andrea Arreola had even bigger plans for her dictionary. She wanted to test her brother and help her father.

`My dad`s just starting to learn English,` she said. `I`m going to open the book and find a word. Then I`m going to say it to him and tell him to copy me by saying it back.`

Dictionaries to be distributed

These Elks Lodges have targeted about 240 schools for new dictionaries. Some third-graders have received dictionaries, and others will get them within weeks.

Elks Orange Coast District 960 Dictionary Donations

Buena Park: 1,600

Fullerton: 6,000

Garden Grove: 2,000

Huntington Beach: 1,959

La Habra: 1,000

Mission Viejo: 4,100

Newport Harbor: 1,800

Orange: 2,200

Santa Ana: 6,000

Westminster: 1,000

Total: 27,659