By Barry Villamil, Past President, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) kicked of their Annual Rotary International Free Dictionary 5000 and Good Citizen Awards Project last week with visits to Aiea and Pearl City Elementary third grade classrooms. I would like to share highlights from the RCOP visit to Pearl City Elementary School on Friday, October 2, 2026. Free dictionaries were presented and gifted to the students and teachers by RCOP Rotarians led by RCOP Dictionary 5000 Project and Good Citizen Awards Co-Chairs Emily Kuraoka and Grant Kuraoka, President Tim Mehlhorn, member Terri Mehlhorn, and Past President Barry Villamil.
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge will present free dictionaries to third graders and their teachers representing fourteen participating Aiea and Pearl City Elementary public and private schools during the 2026 – 2027 school year. The RCOP will also present one boy and one girl from each school with a Good Citizen Award for best exemplifying the Principles of Rotary International’s Four Way Test that was included in the inside cover of each dictionary:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Good Citizen Award winners will be chosen by their teachers and presented their awards consisting of a Congratulatory letter from the RCOP President, and a $50.00 check scholarship at the end of the school year awards ceremony.
We all had a great time introducing the students to their brand new dictionaries. The third graders helped one another look up certain words and their definitions. RCOP members and the Pearl City Elementary School third grade teachers also had fun helping the students.
RCOP presenting member Terri Mehlhorn guided the third graders through the sign language pages contained in their dictionaries by sharing her expertise as a retired sign language teacher. Terri helped them spell their school’s name: Pearl City Elementary School. Terri was great and the students enjoyed learning sign language for the first time.
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge would like to express its sincere gratitude and thanks to all the schools, their administrations, third grade teachers and students for welcoming the RCOP into their schools and classrooms to present the gift of literacy while inspiring learning to over eight-hundred third graders and their teachers each year.
The RCOP Dictionary 5000 and Good Citizen Awards Project are made possible by the generous support of the Rotary Club of Pearlridge Foundation. We honor the late Dick Mosko, RCOP Charter Member, Past RCOP President and Past District 5000 Governor, who laid the groundwork and managed the growth and financial success of the Rotary Club of Pearlridge Foundation that supports thousands of our youth today through financial assistance, mentorships, and community volunteer opportunities. Dick Mosko continues to be an inspiration for his service to the Rotary Club of Pearlridge, the Pearl City and Aies communities, and Hawaii Rotary District 5000. He defines the Heart and Soul of being a contributing Rotarian that always made a difference in the lives he touched and served.
Also, a very special mahalo to the RCOP membership who’s financial and volunteer support has truly made a difference in the well-being and happiness of residents and their ohana in the Aiea and Pearl City communities.
Service Above Self
Proud to be a Rotarian
Photos by Barry Villamil
