Acts of Service-Peace Pole-Celebrating the 175th Anniversary of Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii-USA
As of May 31st, 2016, a new Peace Pole stands as a monument to peace in the Thurston Memorial Chapel Courtyard. The 6-foot tall Peace Pole, made from ʻōhiʻa wood, bears the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages.
Acts of service by alumni, students and faculty serving their communities take place every day, all around the world. Stories were contributed to the collection of 175 acts of service and a Peace Pole planted in honor of the School’s 175th anniversary.
Fifth-grade students in Angie Church’s class plant a tree in honor of the U.N. International Day of Peace each year. Inspired by the activity, Katie Weldon, whose daughter is in fifth grade, coordinated the creation of two Peace Poles. Plans for installation of the second Peace Pole on Rocky Hill are scheduled for September, in time for International Peace Day.
Church’s students chose 10 languages to be represented on the poles: English, Hawaiian, Finnish, Japanese, French, Chinese, Latin, Filipino (Ilocano), Spanish and Italian. Parents and faculty, both on campus and across the world, helped translate “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
Students created templates of the lettering, and Weldon’s husband, Dr. Ed Weldon ’85, who does woodworking as a hobby, carved the messages into the wood. Students painted the lettering with black paint before Ed finished the pole and Physical Plant staff installed it.
“The Peace Pole is a beautiful reminder for us to strive for peace within ourselves and in our world,” said Church.