CALLICOON — For her Bronze Award project, Katie Slemmer of Girl Scout Troop 356 unveiled a “Peace Pole” at Callicoon Creek Park on Thursday, May 30. The four-sided peace pole features the message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth,” in four different languages - English, Spanish, French and sign language. 

Assisting Slemmer on the project was fellow Girl Scout of Troop 356, Victoria Skuthan, as they went through the steps to get the project approved, acquire the necessary materials and plant the pole. 

The Bronze Award is the highest award that a Junior Girl Scout can receive which teaches them leadership skills and how to make a difference in the community. 

“Katie, her parents and her Girl Scout troop have worked very hard the last few months to earn her bronze award, and they should all be very proud of the work they’ve accomplished,” said Katie’s Bronze Award advisor and Girl Scout Service Unit Manager, Joanne Rosenberger.

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 poll 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 polls 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 and her leader, Maryann Oumrim, who was supportive of the project. From there, she went to the Town of Delaware Board for their approval, who were all for it. 

“[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 on 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.”

There are over 250,000 peace poles all over the world that have been recorded by the United Nations Peace Poll project. Of the 250,000 peace poles, there are 121 in the United States.

The idea of peace poles was first thought up by Masahisa Goi in 1955 in Japan as a way to promote peace following the bombing of Hiroshima and the wars that have occurred in Japan and around the world. Peace poles were first constructed outside of Japan in 1983. 

Slemmer said that donors were needed for them to raise money for the materials to make the peace pole, and thanked her troop, her leaders and all the donors who supported the project to help make it happen. 

“It has been really fun,” she said. “I especially thank my mom and papa for supporting me throughout this project. I also thank all the people here who bought a garden peace pole and are spreading the message of peace at home.”