Planting the Seeds of Peace

Barbara Barr

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke installed a Peace Pole at the Oracle Community Learning Garden on Sunday, Oct. 24. Under the leadership of Doug May, the ceremony included local and regional dignitaries from the community and Rotary District 5500. Also included was music by Susan Jackson Kravitz, a lifelong singer and songwriter who seeks universal meanings in the music of many cultures and faiths throughout the world.

So, just what is a Peace Pole? A Peace Pole is a monument declaring the message: “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” This is usually printed in the language of the country in which it is planted and in three other languages. The four languages on this particular pole are English, Spanish, German, and Apache, which reflects the history of this area.

The Peace Pole Project was started in Japan by Masahisa Goi (1916-1980), who dedicated his life to spreading the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Mr. Goi was greatly affected by the destruction caused by World War II and the atomic bombs that fell on Japan. Peace Poles are now the most recognized international peace symbol and monument the world over, with over 200,000 Peace Poles standing in almost every country in the world.

Rotary was the very first service organization. Today, Rotary has grown to be the world’s largest volunteer organization in the world. Rotarians can be found in more countries than the Red Cross.

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is not only an award-winning organization devoted to making a difference locally and globally, it is also a club that enjoys coming together for lunch and lifelong learning. We currently meet weekly at the Ranch House at SaddleBrooke Ranch and on Zoom. Plus, we enjoy getting together for social events and service projects. We have fun making a difference.

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is open to anyone who is living or working in SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, Oracle, Catalina, Oro Valley, and all surrounding communities. For more information, contact Wendy Guyton at 520-404-5712 or [email protected].