BIKE FOR BOOKS
GETTING YOUR LODGE STARTED IN THE BIKES FOR BOOKS PROGRAM
Bikes for Books is really easy to set up.
Hermanos del Arte (HDA) Lodge made an appointment with the Grade School
Principal and laid out our program. We had in mind to have the kids read and
report on 10 books. For every book and report they finished the student would be
given a ticket with their name on it and this ticket would be placed in the
drawing. The Brewster Grade School Principal had a better idea. He said most
Grade Schools in Washington State use a program called Accelerated Reading
Program. This program has a goal setting chart which awards points as the
students reach their goal. When a certain number of points were achieved the
student would then be entered into the drawing. In our small school we had 107
students qualify for the drawing. A drawing is held each trimester with a boy
and girls bike presented. Our local program involves grades K-6.
This is how we do it in Brewster but other lodges who are
involved in Bikes for Books use other methods for kids to qualify. The best
approach I feel is to speak with the Grade School Principal and find out what
would work best for your local school. Mr. Eric Driessen, Principal of Brewster
Grade School, is so sold on Bikes for Books he has volunteered to help other
schools set up the program in their school. Mr. Driessen can be reach at:
509-689-2581. HDA purchases their bikes at
Wal-Mart. We buy a boy and a girl’s bike for each drawing. Wal-Mart gives us a
discount and we usually spend around $85.00 for the two bikes. I just received
an email from VWB Steve Guffy stating that Wal-Mart had donated 4 bikes to
Riverside Lodge in Wenatchee for their Bikes for Books program. It would pay to
contact the Wal-Mart in your area to see if they would be willing to discount or
donate bikes for your program. HDA obtained permission to use the Square and
Compasses on all our posters and for the display at the school. The bikes in
Brewster are placed in the lobby of the grade school and a large poster was made
by the school stating what the bikes were for and that the Masons had donated
the bikes. We are also giving 2 bikes to the Brewster Public Library for the
libraries summer reading program. Needless to say we have one very excited and
happy librarian at the Brewster Public Library.
HDA purchases their bikes at Wal-Mart. We buy a boy and a girl’s
bike for each drawing. Wal-Mart gives us a discount and we usually spend around
$85.00 for the two bikes. I just received an email from VWB Steve Guffy stating
that Wal-Mart had donated 4 bikes to Riverside Lodge in Wenatchee for their
Bikes for Books program. It would pay to contact the Wal-Mart in your area to
see if they would be willing to discount or donate bikes for your program. HDA
obtained permission to use the Square and Compasses on all our posters and for
the display at the school. The bikes in Brewster are placed in the lobby of the
grade school and a large poster was made by the school stating what the bikes
were for and that the Masons had donated the bikes. We are also giving 2 bikes
to the Brewster Public Library for the libraries summer reading program.
Needless to say we have one very excited and happy librarian at the Brewster
Public Library.
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