Rotary Club proposes Peace Poles at Oregon City schools

Leah, a Rotary Club of Oregon City member who also works for Oregon State University Extension, told the Oregon City School Board during public comment that the club wants to fund and install “Peace Poles” at district schools and help coordinate ceremonies, curricula and PR.

The poles, Leah said, bear the message “May peace prevail on earth” in multiple languages and can include a QR code linking each pole to a global map of Peace Poles. The Rotary Club has about $5,000 currently available and Leah said she would request an additional $5,000–$8,000 from the Rotary Club Foundation to phase installations across schools.

Rotary offered to pay for the poles, a donor plaque and a QR decal, and to assist with planning student and community ceremonies. Leah said pole materials vary; a low-cost vinyl pole runs about $450–$500 and a plaque costs roughly $400–$500. She described possible student projects tied to the poles, including scout service projects, art and “PeacePal” exchanges with students abroad.

Board members asked procedural and legal questions. One board member cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision Shurtleff v. City of Boston and warned that accepting a donated display from one group can raise equal-access obligations for other groups seeking displays on school property. That member said, “if we accept a gift or if we allow something to happen for one group, you have to allow it for all other groups.”

A separate question focused on maintenance and vandalism: who would replace language panels or repair damage, particularly if a pole included language that some might target. Leah said Rotary could supply materials and assist with maintenance as agreed, but she acknowledged club membership turnover could affect long-term upkeep.

District staff and board members asked staff legal counsel to review whether accepting donated Peace Poles would require the district to allow similar displays from other groups and what policies would govern placement, maintenance and liability. A board member asked district legal staff, including Dr. Spitzer, to investigate and report back.

Leah pointed to local examples and to larger Rotary plans, saying Rotary District 5100 intends a broader “Oregon Peace Trail” project that would place Peace Poles along the Oregon Trail corridor. She named Rotary clubs and the Al Jubez Foundation as partners in that larger effort.

The public-comment exchange ended with board members asking staff to check legal precedents and district practice for accepting gifts, clarifying responsibility for upkeep, and the timing of any installations around planned school construction.

District staff did not make a decision at the meeting; they agreed to research legal issues and return with guidance to the board.