Girl Scouts plant Peace Pole in Callicoon Creek Park! Sullivan County, New York-USA

May 30, 2024

Girl Scout Troop 356 of Sullivan County, NY unveiled a “Peace Pole” at Callicoon Creek Park on Thursday, May 30, 2024. The four-sided peace pole features the message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth,” in four different languages – English, Spanish, French and American Sign Language. It also includes a brail plaque. 

Girl Scout Junior, Katie Slemmer, planned the project.  In an interview with Tim Bruno of WJFF Radio Catskill, Slemmer said she came up with the idea for the Peace Pole when her grandmother gave her a garden Peace Pole last year. “I looked up the information about the Peace Pole website and thought it would be a good idea for my Bronze Award project because there are not any Peace Poles in this area,” Slemmer told Bruno, “even though we are near Woodstock, a place of peace.”

After coming up with the idea, Slemmer took action which involved talking to her troop, her troop leader Maryann Oumrim, and Joanne Rosenberger, her Girl Scout Service Unit Leader. From there, she went to the Town of Delaware Board for their approval. “[Katie] came to us back in March and put on a very nice presentation to the board,” said Town of Delaware Supervisor Scott DuBois. “It was voted unanimously; it was a no-brainer. I’m very excited that she chose to put it here in the park. So, when everybody comes down here, it’s something that when you look at this pole, maybe next time you see someone you just be a little nicer.”

During the ceremony, the troop and the attendes sang songs about peace and spoke up for peace by saying May Peace Prevail On Earth in the four different languages on the new Peace Pole!  Katie thanks the Girl Scouts and the local businesses who helped make this happen, and specially thanks her parents, Suzanne Clare, and David Slemmer, for helping promote peace in our community.

Local Newspaper:  https://www.scdemocratonline.com/stories/girl-scouts-bronze-award-project-promotes-peace,139227

Radio Interview: https://wjffradio.org/two-local-scouts-create-peace-pole-in-callicoon-creek-park/

Suzanne and Katie Slemmer