Peace Pole at Tivy High School, Terryville, Texas, USA.
May 3, 2026
The Rotary Club of Kerrville donated a Peace Pole to Tivy High School last Thursday morning in a dedication ceremony that drew Kerrville ISD administrators, faculty, students and Rotarians to the school campus.
The ceremony included remarks from Tivy staff, Student Council officers and members of the Interact Club, Tivy’s Rotary-affiliated student leadership organization.
Rotarian Kristy Vandenberg, a past president of the Kerrville club, told the crowd that the project grew out of Peace and Conflict Resolution Month, which Rotary International observes in February.
“Rotary clubs all over the world are partnering with schools and with other organizations to show that we really support this concept of peace,” Vandenberg said. “We want to do what we can to promote peace wherever we can.”
The Peace Pole sits in the courtyard of Tivy High School and bears the phrase “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in English, Spanish and Braille.
Vandenberg added that the Tivy Peace Pole is the first of what the club hopes will be several installations across Kerrville-area campuses.
“Down the road, our goal is actually to put these at all the campuses,” she said.
Kerrville ISD Superintendent Brent Ringo called the pole a daily reminder of values the district works to instill in students.
“This is more than just a beautiful addition to our campus,” Ringo said. “A peace pole is a symbol, a visible daily reminder of something we believe deeply in as a school district and as a community. That respect and kindness matter, that how we treat one another matters.”
Ringo told students that Rotary’s commitment to service aligns with the district’s goal of preparing students not only academically but as responsible citizens.
“Organizations like Rotary that invest in our schools, they’re investing in the future of Kerrville, and that impact cannot be overstated,” he said.
Tivy Principal Rick Sralla said the ceremony gave the community a chance to see what he called the school’s greatest point of pride.
“When they cross the stage, you are getting solid human beings passing across that stage,” Sralla said of Tivy’s student body. “The lives that you see here and the lives that are in that school are truly changing the world to be a better place.”
Student Council President Callie Waiser said the Peace Pole is more than a decorative fixture.
“What we’re dedicating today isn’t just an object placed outside our school,” Waiser said. “It’s a message that we live with every day as we walk onto this campus. It feels like a reminder built right into the heart of our school.”
Waiser said the Student Council intends to incorporate the pole’s message into school events and student leadership practices.
“We want peace to be something we actively practice here at Tivy,” she said.
Interact Club co-president Tyler Baker said his experiences in Interact Club have shaped his understanding of unity among people from different backgrounds.