At the start of the 2021-22 school year, the Kiwanis Club of Apache Junction was pleased to provide dictionaries to the fifth graders of Desert Vista Elementary School in Apache Junction.

These dictionaries are a marked difference from those that their parents may have used in their formative years. In addition to the volume of words, these dictionaries have short bios on our 46 U.S. presidents, the 50 states and D.C., our Solar System, the Table of Elements, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and some other subjects that are not normally found in your dictionaries.

Kiwanis’ motto is “serving the children of the world.” It has been around since 1915 and can be found in more than 80 countries around the world.

Kiwanis has service leadership programs starting from the first grade through the sixth called K-Kids, 7-8 grades called Builders Club, Key Club International found in your more progressive schools that your parents probably are familiar with, Circle K International for college students and Aktion Clubs for adults with various disabilities but not limited by disabilities.

At every level it is the students who decide their leaderships and their projects. There are conferences and camps for all to attend where leadership is learned and of course fun. It is this focus on leadership that has brought the U.S. Army to partner with Kiwanis. Pretty cool huh? Learn more by going to Kiwanis.org.

Your Kiwanis Club of Apache Junction meets at 5:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at the Salvation Army Church on Broadway in Apache Junction with our meetings usually only lasting about 75 minutes.

Editor’s note: Art Fesler-Butts is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Apache Junction.