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Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)

Pathfinders is a community service oriented youth organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, open to all children from ten to sixteen years and upwards. It was founded in 1907. The first camp was held in Town Line Lake, Michigan USA in 1926. Activities include community service, camping, crafts, classwork, marching, Bible study, Seventh-day Adventist Church history, and leadership training. Staff to student ratio is said to be about 1:5, which the organization stresses as an important learning benefit for participants. Participants are children and teenagers aged 10-15, progressing through different ranks called Class Levels each year. Pathfinder clubs across the globe are sponsored by the local Seventh-Day Adventist church and participate in numerous activities and events and camp.

Pathfinder clubs are sponsored by a local Seventh-day Adventist Church and will usually meet either once a week or bi-weekly.

Annually, each conference will hold a large event known as a camporee where pathfinders from throughout the conference will come together to participate in events and competitions as well as religious meetings.

Every so often a camporee is held which is a whole area such as North American or South Pacific divisions come together and enjoy fellowship and do activities together.

The first Division camporee was the Far East Division Camporee in 1984 in Phuket, Thailand; This was followed by the North American Division's (NAD) camporee at Camp Hale, Colorado in 1985. This was followed by the "Friendship Camporee" in Pennsylvania in 1989. In 1994, the NAD hosted the first International Camporee near Denver, Colorado. Other international camporees have been "Discover the Power" in 1999 and "Faith on Fire" in 2004, both located on the grounds of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The next international camporee, themed "Courage to Stand", is scheduled for 2009, also at Oshkosh.

Pathfinder Class Levels

There are 8 standard ranks (known as "Class Levels") a Pathfinder can hold, each of which is awarded upon the completion of specific classwork requirements. The ranks are Friend, Companion, Explorer, Ranger, Voyager, Pioneer, Navigator and Guide. These levels are designed to be completed in one year each, but need not be awarded sequentially. Also there are advanced requirements Ex. Trail Friend & Frontier Voyager. The Florida Conference of the Inter-American Division introduced 2 more class levels: Pioneer and Navigator, which brings their Pathfinder age to 17 (or Grade 12).

The class levels are:

Friend - 5th Grade or age 10

Trail Friend (advanced class)

Companion - 6th Grade or age 11

Trail Companion (advanced class)

Explorer - 7th Grade or age 12

Wilderness Explorer (advanced class)

Ranger - 8th Grade or age 13

Wilderness Ranger (advanced class)

Voyager - 9th Grade or age 14

Frontier Voyager (advanced class)

Guide - 10th Grade or age 15

Frontier Guide (advanced class)

TLT (Teen Leadership Team)

After the student has finished the Guide level, they can decide whether or not they wish to continue on to the Master Guide program. The Master Guide program is more independent, requires more effort and self interest than the other levels, and its requirements focus on witnessing and leadership more than individual skills. This class was designed to train youth leaders in the basic skills of youth ministry and leadership.

Master Guide is considered to be the highest level in Pathfindering. But there are two more classes that follow it which are considered "continuing education" for Master Guides:

Pathfinder Leadership Award (PLA)
Pathfinder Instructor Award (PIA)

Children who are below age 10 or grade 5 can choose to join the Adventurer Club, a sister organization of the Pathfinder Club, which caters to children aged 4-9 (kindergarten to Grade 4).

The class levels are:

Little Lamb
Eager Beaver
Busy Bee
Sunbeam
Builder
Helping Hand

Pathfinder Pledge, Law, and Song

The Pathfinder Pledge and Law are intended to provide guidance for participants, and although the wording differs between countries, the USA version as shown below illustrates the format and topics such as health, lifestyle and religious topics reflects the range which are included.

The Pathfinder Pledge

By the grace of God, I will be pure, kind, and true.

I will keep the Pathfinder Law.

I will be a servant of God and a friend to man.

The Pathfinder Song

Oh we are the Pathfinders strong

The servants of God are we

Faithful as we march along

In kindness truth and purity.

A message to tell to the world

A truth that will set us free.

King Jesus the Savior is coming back for you and me!

Note: Different countries may choose to sing the Pathfinder Song in their respective languages.

The Pathfinder Law

The Pathfinder Law is for me to:

Keep the Morning Watch,
Do my honest part,
Care for my body,
Keep a level eye,
Be courteous and obedient,
Walk softly in the sanctuary,
Keep a song in my heart,
Go on God's errands.

Pathfinder Emblem

The Pathfinder emblem meaning:

The red color on the emblem represents the blood of Jesus Christ and how Pathfinders believe that he gave his life as salvation from sin.

The white color represents purity, and how the objective of Pathfinders is to have the purity and righteousness of Jesus Christ in their lives.

The blue color represents loyalty and how one of the objectives of the club is to be loyal to God, their parents, and their church.

The gold color represents excellence and how it is a standard of measurement. The Pathfinder club has high standards to help build a strong character for the kingdom of heaven.

The 3 sides of the emblem represents completeness. Completeness of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It also represents the tripod of education: Mental (as done through Honors and Crafts), Physical (as done through work bees and campouts), and Spiritual (as done in witnessing and missionary activities).

The shield represents protection. In the Bible, God is often called the shield of His people. Pathfinders believe in God's protection.

The sword represents the Bible. They are in spiritual warfare against sin; their weapon is the Bible.

History

Timeline

1907 - Missionary Volunteer Society was founded
1928 - Southern California's first youth camp, San Gabriel Canyon
1929 - "Pathfinder" name first used at a summer camp in Southeastern California
1946 - The first conference-sponsored Pathfinder Club in Riverside, California

Pathfinder Club emblem designed by John H. Hancock

1949 - Henry T. Bergh composed the Pathfinder song
1950 - General Conference authorized the JMV Pathfinder clubs for world field
1954 - The first Pathfinder Camporee was held on May 7-9 in Idyllwild, California
1960 - The first Union Camporee was held on April 11-14, Lone Pine, California
1985 - The first NAD Pathfinder Camporee was held in Camp Hale, Colorado, (USA)
1987 - The current NAD Pathfinder emblem was designed by Norm Middag
1994 - "Dare to Care" International Pathfinder Camporee, August 2-6, Denver, Colorado
1999 - "Discover the Power" International Pathfinder Camporee held in Oshkosh, WI (USA)
2004 - NAD Pathfinder Ministries under the leadership of James Black and Ron Whitehead hosted the "Faith on Fire" International NAD Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI (USA).

Uniform

The most common pathfinder uniform consists of a tan colored dress shirt, black pants (girls may wear skirts rather than slacks), an honor sash, and a yellow scarf fastened with a black slide. However, the uniforms vary from Division to Division or even country to country. For example, pathfinders in the Southeast Asia Union Mission wear light blue dress shirts and navy blue pants/skirt while those in the Hong Kong-Macao Conference wear green dress shirts and pants/skirt.

Activities

In addition to meeting regularly and earning Class Levels and Honors, Pathfinder clubs participate in other events and activities. Such activities include campouts where many outdoor-recreational honors may be earned. Some AY Class Level requirements may be completed on campouts.

Pathfinders also participate in witnessing activities such as helping out in nursing homes, can collecting for the needy

Events

Common events to Pathfinders worldwide include in the participation area, conference, union, or divisional camporees. These camporees are similar to the ones conducted by the Boy Scouts of America but may vary from country to country.

Honors

One main part of Pathfinders, besides getting closer to God, is to earn honors. Honors are similar to badges in boy scouts. There is over 300 different honors available.

List of Adventist Youth (Pathfinder) honors

Accounting, Advance Drilling and Marching, Adventurer for Christ, Agriculture, Airplane Modeling, Amphibians, Animal Tracking, Archery, Auto Mechanics,

B

Backpacking, Baking, Barbering / Hairstyling, Basic Rescue, Basic Sewing, Basketry, Bats, Beekeeping, Bible Evangelism, Bird Pets, Birds, Blockprinting, Blood and the Body's Defenses, Bones and Muscle Movement, Bookbinding, Bookkeeping, Brain and Behavior, Bread Dough,

C

Cacti, Cake Decorating, Campcraft, Camping Skills 1, Camping Skills 2, Camping Skills 3, Camping Skills 4, Candle Making, Canoeing, Carpentry, Cats, Cattle Husbandry, Caving, Ceramics, Chemistry, Christian Citizenship, Christian Grooming & Manners, Christian Sales, Christian Storytelling, Communications, Community Water Safety, Computers, Cooking, Counted Cross Stitch, CPR, Crocheting, Cultural Diversity Appreciation, Currency, Cycling,

D-E

Dairying, Decoupage, Digestion, Dog Care and Training, Dogs, Drawing and Painting, Dressmaking, Drill and Marching, Ecology, Edible Wild Plants, Electricity, Environmental Conservation,

F

Family Life, Feltcraft, Ferns, Firebuilding & Camp Cookery, First Aid, Basic, First Aid, Standard, Fishes, Flower Arrangement, Flower Culture, Flowers, Food Canning, Food Drying, Food Freezing, Fossils, Fruit Growing, Fungi,

G

Gardening, Geology, Glasscraft, Glass Painting, Goat Husbandry, Grasses,

H

Health and Healing, Hiking, Home Nursing, Horse Husbandry, Horsemanship, Housekeeping, Housepainting-exterior, Housepainting-interior Houseplants,

I-K

Insects, Junior Witness, Junior Youth Leadership, Kites, Knitting, Knot Tying, Language Study, Laundering, Leathercraft, Lettering and Postermaking, Lichens, Lverworts, and Mosses, Livestock, M

Macramé, Mammals, Maple Sugar, Marine Algae, Marine Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Masonry, Metalcraft, Microscopic Life, Model Boats, Model Cars, Model Railroading, Modelrocketry, Moths and Butterflies, Music,

N-O

Navigation, Needlecraft, Nutrition, Optics, Orchids, Orienteering, Origami, Outdoor Leadership,

P

Paperhanging, Personal Evangelism, Photography, Physical Fitness, Physics, Pigeon Raising, Pioneering, Plastercraft, Plastics, Plumbing, Pottery, Poultry, Poultry Raising, Printing,

Q-R

Quilting, Radio, Radio Electronics, Red Alert, Reptiles, Rocks and Minerals, Rowing,

S

Sailing Sanctuary, Sand, Scuba, Scrapbooking, Sculpturing, Seeds, Sheep Husbandry, Shells, Shoe Repair, Shorthand, Silkscreen Printing, Skin Diving, Small Engines, Small Fruit Growing, Small Mammal Pets, Soapcraft, Spiders, Springboard Diving, Stamps, Stars, Stewardship, String Art, Swimming Beginners, Swimming Intermediate, Swimming,

T-V

Tailoring, Teaching, Temperance, Textile Painting, Track and Field, Trees, Tumbling and Balancing, Typewriting,

W-Z

Waterskiing, Weather, Weaving, Welding, Wilderness Leadership, Wilderness Living, Windsurfing, Winter Camping, Wood Carving, Wood Handicraft, Woodworking,

East Africa Division Honors

Africa Lore, Antelopes, Paper Mache, Thatching,

Euro Africa Division Honors

Childcare,

North American Division Honors

Basketball, Braiding, Copper Enameling, Glass Etching, Indian Lore, Lapidary, Mountain Biking, Pinewood Derby, Power Boating, Skiing Cross Country, Soccer,

South Pacific Division Honors

Aboriginal Lore, Abseiling, Bible Marking, Cetaceans, Eucalypts, Herbs, Kayaking, Maori Lore, Marsupials, Music Beginners, Music, Parrots and Cockatoos, Puppetry, Skateboarding, Triathlon, Upholstery, Video, Wattles,

South Pacific Division/Island Honors Canoe Building, Cultural Food Preparation, Cultural Heritage, Island Fishing, Mat Making, Native Bush Construction, Palm Trees, Subsistence Farming, Tapa Cloths, Tree Climbing,

Honors added in 2007:

Lighthouses and Advanced, Whistles and Advanced, Basic and Advanced Computers,

Honors added in 2006:

Christian Drama, Digital Photography, Drumming & Percussion, Drumming & Percussion Advanced, Dutch Oven Cooking, Genealogy, Internet & Internet Advanced, Paper Quilling & Paper Quilling Advanced, Plastic Canvas & Plastic Canvas Advanced, Slow-Pitch Softball, Soils, Tie-Dye, Wakeboarding, Worms & Worms Advanced,

Honors added in 2005:

Geocaching Honors added in 2004

Bats and Advanced Bats, Heredity, Sanctuary, Scrapbooking, Endangered Species,