Table Rock Foundation History
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The Table Rock Foundation was founded by Phil Hart and Brenda Patton in 1996 with the intent to connect caring people around the globe with a focus on humanitarian, cultural and environmental projects. Believing that by teaching our future generations the philosophy of service above self we could improve the quality of life for all.
In 1997 Table Rock Foundation supported the first Salmon Ceremony, bringing an ancient tribal ceremony back to the land. The Salmon Ceremony also served to introduce Native American culture to the surrounding communities. The ceremony was presided over by the oldest living descendant of the people who first lived on this land, Grandmother Agnes Pilgrim. Table Rock continued to provide the support through 2006 when the Salmon Ceremony was able to achieve self-sufficiency through its own non-profit. In May of 2000, Table Rock spearheaded a fundraiser to send someone on a fact finding trip to gain information to aid in building a much needed health clinic in Bhotechaur Nepal. At the conclusion of this trip, a water system was built to provide an entire village with fresh drinkable water with the leftover funds. The project to build the clinic was ultimately taken over by Rotary International through the Rogue Gateway Rotary Club. |
Phil Hart Clubhouse
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In December 2001, Table Rock Foundation obtained a grant from the Forest Workers Alliance to facilitate an eco-cultural Forest Management Camp. The camp was held on the 365 acre Enchanted Forest with twenty-five participants. Many of the attendees were young Native Americans who were taught ancient forest conservation techniques along with cultural awareness. Four out of the group received college credit in Native American history at Southern Oregon University for participating, while three others went on to get jobs working in forest management.
In January of 2001, the Table Rock Foundation supported the first health camps in several remote areas of Nepal. Two more camps were conducted in 2002. Table Rock Foundation was a proud sponsor of these health camps before the Bhotechaur Clinic was able to take over serving the countless individuals who otherwise had no access to any medical treatment.
In 2002 Table Rock Foundation raised the money needed to send Native American elder, Agnes Pilgrim, to meet with the monks in Nepal for an important spiritual and cultural exchange.
In January of 2001, the Table Rock Foundation supported the first health camps in several remote areas of Nepal. Two more camps were conducted in 2002. Table Rock Foundation was a proud sponsor of these health camps before the Bhotechaur Clinic was able to take over serving the countless individuals who otherwise had no access to any medical treatment.
In 2002 Table Rock Foundation raised the money needed to send Native American elder, Agnes Pilgrim, to meet with the monks in Nepal for an important spiritual and cultural exchange.
In 2005 Table Rock Foundation began the sponsorship of a twelve year old boy from Nepal. Born in extreme poverty and unable to obtain a greatly desired education, our support provided this young man with an incredible future. In 2011, he passed his entrance exam to attend college in Katmandu, placing third in his country. He went on to become an engineer, helping people and aiding in providing prosperity in Nepal.
In 2007 Table Rock Foundation began using the 365 acre Enchanted Forest to create children’s camps. The first camp was designed to teach forest management and earth conservation. Professionals and teachers provided workshops in conservation, wild flower identification, forest management and nature photography.
The camp in 2009 examined individual inherent talent. Exploring ways to preserve and create quality of life in whatever scale each individual could serve, the forum provided information on how to learn, not what to learn, through open and meaningful dialogue. This experience lended itself to observation and acceptance of multi-cultures and differing opinions for the greater good in problem solving.
The first Leadership camp was launched in 2010. Development of individual strengths and teamwork taught in various problem solving activities such as drama therapy, trail hikes and river rafting all played important all played important roles in self-awareness and confidence.
In 2007 Table Rock Foundation began using the 365 acre Enchanted Forest to create children’s camps. The first camp was designed to teach forest management and earth conservation. Professionals and teachers provided workshops in conservation, wild flower identification, forest management and nature photography.
The camp in 2009 examined individual inherent talent. Exploring ways to preserve and create quality of life in whatever scale each individual could serve, the forum provided information on how to learn, not what to learn, through open and meaningful dialogue. This experience lended itself to observation and acceptance of multi-cultures and differing opinions for the greater good in problem solving.
The first Leadership camp was launched in 2010. Development of individual strengths and teamwork taught in various problem solving activities such as drama therapy, trail hikes and river rafting all played important all played important roles in self-awareness and confidence.
We had three camps in 2012. We started off in June with an officially Rotary sanctioned, RYLA Reunion Camp. We had thirteen alumni from the 2010 and 2012 Rotary Youth Leadership Academies plus our counselor, Austin Kasner, who was 2007 alumni. Our campers came from all corners of our district which cover all of Oregon from Corvallis south to Northern California. This was an incredible group of young people and we challenged them to take their already powerful RYLA experience even deeper. The theme of our camp was “Making A Difference”, which this group certainly is. They are now an impactful and good bunch, making tremendous difference in the world, all for the better.
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In June 2011, Table Rock Foundation obtained grants from local businesses to put on a Leadership Camp for thirty youth of all ages. Continuing the emphasis of team building and cooperation through open communication, the participants learned problem solving skills and the importance of caring for themselves by making good choices. To enable future success and opportunity, the youngsters were introduced to a variety of Rotary youth programs.
In August of 2011, we held our first New Generations Camp for local Interacters and Rotaracters to come together to meet, plan their upcoming year and celebrate the first Rotary New Generations month. We also used this opportunity to share all of the wonderful programs that Rotary offers to help our upcoming leaders become all that they can become and to let them know that we, as Rotarians, are here for them. |
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Our second camp, in July, was comprised of young people who have attended all of our previous camps from 2007 on. Many of them were going off to college so it was kind of a farewell gathering. This was another very powerful group of young people who have taken away a lot valuable information from our camps. They've since made their mark in college, and now they are doing good for the world.
Our final camp in August of 2012 was comprised of thirty middle school students who are part of the College Dreams Program. This is a program that identifies young people who are college material but have challenges; they receive mentoring throughout their middle and high school years. We were approached by the leaders of this program and asked to put on a leadership camp for thirty of these youngsters. It was an amazing experience to see the transformation in a period of just 48 hours. Most of it was due to the stellar cast of counselors that we had. We had three Rotaracters for our counselors and three Interacters for our assistant counselors and they all did a superb job! One of our programs and hands on project was information on converting common waste into Biochar, a carbon negative soil enhancer, and its environmentally friendly uses. The campers were also able to build their own “Biochar Stove” which allowed them to cook with a carbon negative process.
We started the camp season in 2013 with our second College Dreams Camp. The camp theme was “Preparing our path to the future”. The weekend was packed with all sorts of activities and inspirational speakers. From learning about local birds and making birdhouses with Lee Webb to making mosaic stepping stones with Deb Lyon; from hiking to the Shan Creek swimming hole for an afternoon swim to a tree identification hike with Linda Mullens; from youth motivational speaker, Brad Carlson, talking about “Just Believe – Change Your thoughts, change your mind” to David West talking about “Native American Wisdom” and capping it off with a drum circle with Sisters of the Feathered Moon, a good time was had by all!
Our second and last camp of 2013 was the RYLA Reunion. The campers worked on a large mosaic mural depicting Enchanted Forest during the weekend which is permanently displayed in the Phil Hart Clubhouse. Kate Lasky, Executive Director of the Josephine Community Libraries, gave an inspiring talk titled, “Following Your North Star”. The group spent most of Saturday doing a community service project at Wildlife Images cleaning the Birds of Prey building. They were rewarded with a tour of the facilities and had a special encounter with a wolf. They capped off the afternoon with a hike to the Shan Creek swimming hole to refresh before dinner and our evening speaker, David West. David spoke about the indigenous people of this land and indigenous styles of leadership. Sunday morning they were treated to their finished mural that was grouted while they cleaned up camp. Everyone was very pleased with the finished product and rightly so- it was awesome! It was a small camp in numbers but very big in spirit. Our RYLA connections just got deeper and more powerful.
In December of 2013 we entered into a contract with the US Fish and Wildlife Department to undertake an Oak Savanah Restoration Project on 15 acres that was within the 40 acres destined to become the Phil Hart Youth Camp. This is known as “ecological restoration” and is based on the recovery and management of historical landscape. This concept was first discussed at our Indigenous Forestry Management Workshop Camp in 2001 and it was heartening to realize that mainstream government foresters were now on board.
Our second and last camp of 2013 was the RYLA Reunion. The campers worked on a large mosaic mural depicting Enchanted Forest during the weekend which is permanently displayed in the Phil Hart Clubhouse. Kate Lasky, Executive Director of the Josephine Community Libraries, gave an inspiring talk titled, “Following Your North Star”. The group spent most of Saturday doing a community service project at Wildlife Images cleaning the Birds of Prey building. They were rewarded with a tour of the facilities and had a special encounter with a wolf. They capped off the afternoon with a hike to the Shan Creek swimming hole to refresh before dinner and our evening speaker, David West. David spoke about the indigenous people of this land and indigenous styles of leadership. Sunday morning they were treated to their finished mural that was grouted while they cleaned up camp. Everyone was very pleased with the finished product and rightly so- it was awesome! It was a small camp in numbers but very big in spirit. Our RYLA connections just got deeper and more powerful.
In December of 2013 we entered into a contract with the US Fish and Wildlife Department to undertake an Oak Savanah Restoration Project on 15 acres that was within the 40 acres destined to become the Phil Hart Youth Camp. This is known as “ecological restoration” and is based on the recovery and management of historical landscape. This concept was first discussed at our Indigenous Forestry Management Workshop Camp in 2001 and it was heartening to realize that mainstream government foresters were now on board.
2014 was a very hot and dry summer and our three camps were all scheduled in August. We were concerned about the dry conditions in the forest and our campsite was located one mile into the forest via narrow dirt roads. The last minute we decided to hold the camps at the Camp Ruth Hyde Girl Scout Camp on the other side of the river where the road leading into the campground was paved.
Our first camp there was the RYLA Reunion. We stared off with building birdhouses with Lee Webb and Brad Carlson was our inspirational speaker for the night. Saturday morning the campers were picked up by the Wildlife Images van to do a community service project. The group cleaned the trails around the perimeter of the premises where the wolves are taken for their daily walks. We were treated to an African drumming group that night and everyone was able to drum.
Our second camp of 2014 was our first Camp Phoenix. This camp was designed to help youth dealing with grief, trauma or abuse and help them in the healing process. Drama Therapy was a big part of this camp and we were honored to have Bobbi Kidder, head of the Antioch College Drama Therapy Department in attendance with several of her graduate students who were receiving college credits for their work at camp. We had some amazing young people at this camp that made giant leaps in their healing. We got incredible feedback from their counselors about how much they had improved after our camp and we have stayed in touch with several of them who thank us for helping them turn their lives around!
Our third camp of the year was our College Dreams Camp. The camp was full of team building and personal empowerment games and exercises. Our Drama Therapists enjoyed our previous Camp Phoenix so much that they came down to take part in this camp as well. We also had our motivational speakers, Kate Lasky and David West and drumming with World Drum Beat. Linda Mullens took the group on a wildlife hike and we introduced the campers to the various Rotary Youth programs available to them.
Our second camp of 2014 was our first Camp Phoenix. This camp was designed to help youth dealing with grief, trauma or abuse and help them in the healing process. Drama Therapy was a big part of this camp and we were honored to have Bobbi Kidder, head of the Antioch College Drama Therapy Department in attendance with several of her graduate students who were receiving college credits for their work at camp. We had some amazing young people at this camp that made giant leaps in their healing. We got incredible feedback from their counselors about how much they had improved after our camp and we have stayed in touch with several of them who thank us for helping them turn their lives around!
Our third camp of the year was our College Dreams Camp. The camp was full of team building and personal empowerment games and exercises. Our Drama Therapists enjoyed our previous Camp Phoenix so much that they came down to take part in this camp as well. We also had our motivational speakers, Kate Lasky and David West and drumming with World Drum Beat. Linda Mullens took the group on a wildlife hike and we introduced the campers to the various Rotary Youth programs available to them.
In November of 2014, Table Rock Foundation sponsored a Biochar Workshop at Enchanted Forest that was attended by Forest Rangers from four Ranger Districts as well as representatives from several reforestation companies and many forest landowners from around Oregon and Northern California. The debris that was piled during the Oak Savanah Restoration was used in a “burn to learn” demonstration led by biochar expert, Peter Hirst. The attendees learned how to make biochar from forest debris and experimented with different methods of burning piles to find the way to minimize the resulting smoke from the burns. The results were amazing when two piles were burned side by side. The pile that was bottom lit produced 90% more smoke than the top lit pile. Peter Hirsh explained this phenomenon that heat does not rise and wood does burn. The resulting biochar product that is left is a superior soil amendment for water and nutrient retention that can be left on site to help build healthy soil or used in a garden on vegetables or flowers.
In 2015 we returned to Enchanted Forest where we moved the campsite closer to the clubhouse and brought running water to the site. We were down to two camps again because it was too difficult for our RYLA campers to get to the camp as they are scattered around state. The board felt that the small attendance was not worth the work or the expense. We are considering a “New Generations” camp that includes all the youngsters involved in all our Rotary programs which will allow us to draw on more campers from our immediate area.
We had our second Camp Phoenix and had a very challenging group that was dealing with some very complex issues. With the expertise of our drama therapists and our very capable counselors, we made amazing headway in the lives of these children. Brad Carlson, our motivational speaker from our earlier camps and Tony Broulette, a musician and motivational speaker along with Tom Smith, a Native American storyteller and tool maker had a very positive impact on our campers. In spite of the 106 degree temperatures, we were able to keep the youngsters comfortable with squirt guns, spray bottles and iced bandanas to wear around their necks.
Our second camp was College Dreams and they just keep getting better. Some of the youngsters have been coming for several years and we could see how much they have matured and are so proud who they are becoming. Our camps and the College Dreams programs are doing so much in helping these wonderful young people develop into their very best version! These campers were treated to learning mosaic art with Deb Lyon, taking nature hikes with Forest Service Biologist, Linda Mullens and being entertained by Tony Broulette and Angel Gissel.
In September of 2015 we had the Chartering Party for the first Rotaract E-club sponsored by Rotary. Young people from all over the world ages 18 to 30 are a part of this club and we skyped the ones who were out of the country to be a part of the ceremony. This group of young people has hit the ground running and is already scheduled to help build solar collectors for remote Navajo homes in the southwest and helping indigenous Mayan Indians in Guatemala grow nutritious food to feed their families.
In 2015 we returned to Enchanted Forest where we moved the campsite closer to the clubhouse and brought running water to the site. We were down to two camps again because it was too difficult for our RYLA campers to get to the camp as they are scattered around state. The board felt that the small attendance was not worth the work or the expense. We are considering a “New Generations” camp that includes all the youngsters involved in all our Rotary programs which will allow us to draw on more campers from our immediate area.
We had our second Camp Phoenix and had a very challenging group that was dealing with some very complex issues. With the expertise of our drama therapists and our very capable counselors, we made amazing headway in the lives of these children. Brad Carlson, our motivational speaker from our earlier camps and Tony Broulette, a musician and motivational speaker along with Tom Smith, a Native American storyteller and tool maker had a very positive impact on our campers. In spite of the 106 degree temperatures, we were able to keep the youngsters comfortable with squirt guns, spray bottles and iced bandanas to wear around their necks.
Our second camp was College Dreams and they just keep getting better. Some of the youngsters have been coming for several years and we could see how much they have matured and are so proud who they are becoming. Our camps and the College Dreams programs are doing so much in helping these wonderful young people develop into their very best version! These campers were treated to learning mosaic art with Deb Lyon, taking nature hikes with Forest Service Biologist, Linda Mullens and being entertained by Tony Broulette and Angel Gissel.
In September of 2015 we had the Chartering Party for the first Rotaract E-club sponsored by Rotary. Young people from all over the world ages 18 to 30 are a part of this club and we skyped the ones who were out of the country to be a part of the ceremony. This group of young people has hit the ground running and is already scheduled to help build solar collectors for remote Navajo homes in the southwest and helping indigenous Mayan Indians in Guatemala grow nutritious food to feed their families.
Since, we've hosted many Project Youth+ Camps, and created two new camps, Camp Phoenix and Run Like a Girl. Camp Phoenix has been highly successful and has nurtured kids with Adverse Childhood Experiences and empowered these kids, showing them that they are loved and have immense potential. As well, Our Run Like A Girl have been highly successful. We've had girls from the local schools that have the highest rates of teen pregnancies and dropouts, and showed these girls all the different things that are possible and the immense power they carry.
Through it all the Table Rock Foundation has dedicated itself to empowering and transforming the lives of our community's wonderful kids.
We look forward to having the opportunity to impact many more young lives as we continue holding our camps and other events!
Through it all the Table Rock Foundation has dedicated itself to empowering and transforming the lives of our community's wonderful kids.
We look forward to having the opportunity to impact many more young lives as we continue holding our camps and other events!
