‘ PEACE POLES’ SERVE AS POWERFUL REMINDER ox Chapel Area
Members of the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area join Dorseyville Middle School students during the school’ s Peace Pole dedication ceremony.
‘ PEACE POLES’ SERVE AS POWERFUL REMINDER ox Chapel Area
FOX X CHAPEL AREA SCHOOL NEWS
At every Fox Chapel Area school campus, a“ Peace Pole” now greets visitors with one message in eight languages:“ May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
The Peace Poles are a generous gift from the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area. Each pole features the saying in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, and Hebrew.
According to Rotary International,“ Rotary Peace Poles are powerful catalysts for bringing communities together.” The message on the Peace Poles serves as an affirmation of peace, and the poles are intended to inspire unity among people of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
The idea of placing the Peace Poles at the district’ s schools came from the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area Sergeantat-Arms, Dr. George Dull. Dr. Dull, a former past president of the Rotary Club, was a counselor at Dorseyville Middle School until his retirement in 2002.
He says that a big part of Rotary’ s mission is to create hope and understanding in the world, and that the Peace Poles are one of the most visible symbols of that mission.
“ In order to help spread the Rotary’ s mission of fostering peace, we thought it would be meaningful to include the students of the Fox Chapel Area School District in the Peace Pole project,” Dr. Dull says.“ The students of today will be the stewards of peace in the years to come.”
“ We are so grateful that the Rotary’ s donation enables us to be included in this project,” says Dr. Mary Catherine Reljac, Fox Chapel Area School District’ s superintendent and a Rotary member.“ There is no better place to share a message of peace than in our schools, where we want everyone to feel a sense of togetherness and belonging.”
10 FOX CHAPEL AREA
Rotary Club Sergeant-at-Arms George Dull, a former Dorseyville Middle School counselor, shows students the message on the Peace Pole at Hartwood Elementary School as Fox Chapel Area School Board Vice President and Rotary Club member Ron Frank looks on.
Each school held a special ceremony to commemorate the donation of its Peace Pole. Dr. Dull attended each ceremony, as did other members of the Rotary Club. He spoke about the powerful phrase,“ May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
“ It’ s a wish – and a promise – shared by people all around the world. It reminds us that peace begins with each of us, right here, every day,” Dr. Dull says.“ By placing a Peace Pole at every Fox Chapel Area school, we wanted to create a quiet symbol that speaks loudly that kindness matters, that respect matters, and that peace starts with you – in your classrooms, on the playground, and even at home.”