A Second Peace Pole for Beaumont

Beaumont has a second Peace Pole. On the morning of Friday, September 18, the club and the Beaumont Library District unveiled it outside the newly opened Beaumont Library, with members, library staff, guests and neighbors gathered under the club’s red canopies.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians Bird Singing Group opened the ceremony, as they did at the first pole’s dedication in June. Their yes came late and was worth the wait: Doug had reached out more than once, and the tribe confirmed only days before, in the middle of preparing for its 35th Annual Thunder & Lightning Powwow. Morongo already has its own tie to this building, having donated to the Beaumont Library District in April 2025, and the tribe asked to be part of the day.

After the songs came the unveiling. The cover came off to show the pole’s message, May Peace Prevail On Earth, set in several languages including Spanish, Que La Paz Prevalezca En La Tierra. Members uncovered the dedication stone at its base, guest speakers took the podium, and certificates of appreciation were exchanged, including one the club presented to Morongo’s representatives.

The first pole has stood outside the Chatigny Center since June 26. The library pole puts the same message where readers of every age walk past it each day, and the Peace Pole Project’s next stop is Beaumont Unified campuses, working with the district and our Interact students.

District Governor Richard Lemire made his official visit to Beaumont-Cherry Valley Rotary on Thursday, October 1, meeting first with the club board at 11:00 AM and then joining the full membership for lunch at the Chatigny Center.

At lunch he laid out the district’s year ahead: PRYDE, November 21–22; RYLA Part 1, March 5–7, and Part 2, April 2–4; the Four-Way Test Speech Contest, March 13 in Banning; the District Learning Assembly, April 17; the Rotary Youth Showcase Event, May 2; the Epic Day of Service, May 15; and the Rotary International Convention, June 26–30 in Barcelona. He also made the case for the 2027 District Conference, “Soar High Through Rotary,” on Saturday, June 19 at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside.

Gifts went both ways, with Bruce Murrill doing the honors for the club. The governor opened the club’s gift bag to find a pair of plush police dogs, and he and President Doug Emery closed the visit with a handshake at the podium.

The club’s 55th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner is Saturday, November 14, 2026 — a free holiday meal for Beaumont and Cherry Valley seniors, a club tradition since 1971. This year’s placemats carry sponsor advertising, on sale now: a business-card-size ad for $25, double size for $50, or sponsor a turkey for $25.

To reserve an ad, contact Yami Goldberg (909-841-3753, simplygold35@gmail.com) no later than Saturday, November 7, 2026. Checks are payable to Rotary Club of Beaumont-Cherry Valley, or pay by card through Zeffy. The sponsor form has the details to hand to a business.

The District 5330 Gala, District Governor Richard Lemire’s event at Sun Lakes, falls on Saturday, November 14, 2026 — the same day as the club’s own Thanksgiving Dinner, with the gala in the evening. Tickets and details come through the district at district5330.org and DACdb.

Thursdays, 12:00–1:00 PM, Chatigny Center (and Google Meet call-in). On the October calendar: the board meeting on October 8, the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District on October 15 (tentative), and the San Gorgonio Pass Historical Society, part two, on October 22.

District 5330 held Rotary Leadership Institute training (Parts I, II, and III) on Saturday, September 19 at Beaumont Presbyterian Church — $45 per person, reimbursed by the club. Sabrina Sepulveda, Sammy Bermudez and Lisa Hendrix attended for the club.

Bruce Murrill and Sabrina Sepulveda, the club’s Youth Services Chair, presented on the club’s youth services programs at the September 24 club meeting. Stay tuned: next month’s issue tells how the club committed to PRYDE, Rotary’s leadership camp for seventh graders.

The club and the Foundation approved funding the Beaumont Library’s $6,924.53 bike-rack literacy project. The club is set to receive a District Community Grant of $1,065.45; Doug recommended putting it toward the library’s Peace Pole and bike rack, and he and Sammy Bermudez have completed the application.

From the August 13, 2026 board meeting (relayed September 9): club financials for the year ended June 30, 2026 (FY2025–26) show $6,150 in member dues and $8,000 from meals; community-service spending included $1,800 for the Thanksgiving dinner, $300 for Winter Wish, and $5,759 for the Beaumont PD K9 program. Net income for the year: $2,560. Robin moved, and Bruce seconded, that the club buy new square name badges from Custom Trophies in Beaumont, paid by the club rather than by members.

A new district website. District 5330 launched a rebuilt site in August at district5330.org. Worth a bookmark for grant information, the district calendar, and training registration.

A new District Governor Nominee. Jeri Simpson of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead was elected on August 22 and will serve as District 5330 governor in 2028–29. She is in her second term as her own club’s president and currently chairs the district’s Rotaract program.

Corazón Home Build, September 11–13. The district’s international service weekend in Mexico builds a house for a family over three days. Seats on the bus have been going quickly; registration ran through DACdb.