Game On” Rotary President-Elect, Stephanie Urchick on peace building with Peace Poles! INTERNATIONAL
JULY-2024
One of the pillars of Urchick’s, peace push is, well, a pillar (Peace Pole). That afternoon after the club meeting, she joins members of the Rotary Club of White Oak at a park in the community about 15 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It is a gorgeous sunny day that feels like spring although it is only early February, with a slight breeze on the remaining leaves clinging to the oaks in the park.
July-2024 Edition
Dan Dougherty, the 2024-25 Governor of Rotary District 7305 and a member of the White Oak club, is holding a white 8-foot Peace Pole. The words “ May Peace Prevail On Earth” is inscribed on it in eight languages-English, Irish, Italian, Polish, German, Croatian, Spanish, and Vietnamese-spoken in the community. The peace message is also in Braille, and there is a Rainbow Unity flag sticker and another decal for Veterans for Peace. Urchick walks up and immediately pulls out her phone, scanning the QR code on the Peace Pole’s side that links to the website with more information.
She encourages Rotary Clubs to put up these Peace Poles as visible signals of their commitment to peace, whether at member’s homes, in their club, their community or around the world.
as visible signals of their commitment to peace.
Dougherty’s wife, Autumn, who is also a member of the White Oak Club has made it her goal to get every Club in their district to erect a Peace Pole in the coming year.
When the last white Oak Club member arrives, everyone clusters around Urchick like players huddled around their coach during a crucial timeout. “ The Peace Pole Project is a favorite of mine because it’s a visual representation,” she tells them. “It’s going to tell everybody in White Oak who comes to this park that your Club is about peacebuilding. Rotary is about peacebuilding.”
May Peace Prevail On Earth
Photos and excerpt of this blog post taken from article in ROTARY magazine-July-2024 Edition.