PATHFINDER LAW: The Law is for me to:
Keep the morning watchDo 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 errand.
PATHFINDER PLEDGE:
By the grace of God, I will be pure, and kind, and true.
I will keep the Pathfinder Law.
I will be a servant of God and a friend to man.
The Pathfinder Club, or simply Pathfinders, is a department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), which works specifically with the cultural, social and religious education of children and adolescents located in the age group between 10 and 15 years.[1][2][3]
Similar in many respects to Scouting,[4] this differs by religious emphasis on their activities.[5] Part of the official program of the Adventist Church since 1950.[6] Globally the Pathfinder Club is part of the church's youth ministry,
History
The first step towards the organization of the Pathfinders Club within the Adventist Church in 1907 when the Department of Youth Missionary Volunteer ( Volunteer Missionary Society ) was established under the leadership of Pastor M.E. Kern.[9]
Pr. Samuthram in 1958, founder of the "Society of Missionary Volunteers" in Malaysia.
In 1911 the embryos are formed from the Pathfinder club in Takoma Park, Maryland. Three clubs were formed in Takoma Park in 1911, they were: "Scouts Missions", "Woodland Clan & Pals" and "Takoma Indians". Were characterized by only accepting registration for boys.[10] In 1919 Arthur Spalding founded the club "Scouts Missionaries", in Madison County, Tennessee. Spalding studied the organization, made compatible with the spiritual goals of the Adventist Church (a feature that was not initially adopted by clubs from Takoma Park), rules and created the outline of the movement. The "Scouts Missionaries" developed the fundamental ideals for the current club of pathfinders.[10]
In 1929 for the first time the name "pathfinder" was used on a schedule of juvenile SDA activities. The Association of Southern California promotes a camp for Youth Missionary Volunteers, and entitles the camp "Pathfinder". The same Association (Southern California) in 1946 unilaterally formalizes and sponsors the program, with its first prototype recognized club being tested in Riverside, California.[10]
Alongside the experience in California, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 1950, formalizes a program the club, and adopts a uniform, a hymn (composed in 1947 by Henry Bergh) and a flag (made by Helen Hobbs in 1948) for the official new department. The name was adopted for the program "Youth Club - Missionary Volunteer".[10]
Between 9–11 October 1953, the Southern Association of New England promoted the first Pathfinder Camporee in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Since then this has been the main camp and form of interaction between Pathfinder clubs worldwide.[11]
Since the formalization of the movement as the SDA program, it has undergone some upgrades, the most significant being:
- (1958) Development of progressive classes;
- (1959) Development of physical and moral classes (gold and silver medals);
- (1976) Addition of "masters" to the curriculum of the club;
- (1982) The global emblem Missionary Volunteer is replaced by the Pathfinder world emblem, and the name Missionary Volunteer falls into disuse;
- (1988) the first overhaul of the curriculum Pathfinder is made.
Organization
Each Pathfinder club is run by a director of the club, deputy directors, counselors, instructors, chaplain, secretary and treasurer. The administrative offices of the club require that trained people are occupying the function. The General Conference Youth Department instructs that preferably leaders be invested - 18 years old, who have completed the "Class Leader" - or at least they are fulfilling the requirements of the Class Leader.[22]The club is divided into separate units, classified by sex and age. Each unit has an average of six or eight pathfinders, accompanied by a counselor, who is their leader.[23] The unit functions as a cell of the club, or "micro-club" because it also develops an administrative organization chart with a captain and a secretary, and develops practical and theoretical activities through interaction among its members.[23]
Clubs are also organized into "regions", which act as groups of geographically close local clubs.[24] Regions usually have the authority to develop longer term activities (e.g. camporees), demanding more effort and planning, also supporting the clubs through the "regional team". The region is coordinated by a regional coordinator, usually an invested leader.[24]
On a broader scope is the local coordination of Pathfinder fields (missions, associations, unions and divisions), which, as well as regional, has the mandate to coordinate activities that require more planning,[24] besides answering to the General Conference for all activities and work done in a geographic region.[22]
Classes and specialties
Regular classes are activities that cover various topics, always considering the educational philosophy of the club. Resemble academic degrees, as is recommended to be developed within one year in accordance with the correct age for each class.[25] Jointly develop the advanced classes, which contains more elaborate requirements, and usually with some degree of difficulty with regular classes. There are twelve existing classes for youth:[24]| Standard classes | Advanced classes | Minimum grade/age | Class color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend | Trail Friend | 5th grade/Age 10/11 | Blue |
| Companion | Trail Companion | 6th Grade/Age 11/12 | Red |
| Explorer | Wilderness Explorer | 7th Grade/Age 12/13 | Green |
| Ranger | Wilderness Ranger | 8th Grade/Age 13/14 | Silver |
| Voyager | Frontier Voyager | 9th Grade/Age 14/15 | Burgundy |
| Guide | Frontier Guide | 10th Grade/Age 15/16 | Gold |
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