Pathfinders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pathfinders is an international youth group sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It involves children and teenagers ages grades 10-16 as they progress 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.
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[edit] About
[edit] 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 in order to 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 loyal 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.
[edit] Pledge and Law
Pathfinders keep a Pathfinder Pledge and Law. The Pathfinder Pledge says:
"By the grace of God, I will pure kind and true, I will keep the Pathfinder Law, I will be a servant of God, and friend to man."
The Pathfinder law says to:
"Keep the morning watch, do my honest part, care for my body, keep a level eye, be courtious and obedient, walk softly in the sanctuary, keep a song in my heart, and go on God's errands."
In the Pathfinder Law, "Keep the morning watch" means to have prayer and personal devotion each day. "Keep a level eye" means to not cheat, lie or decieve, and to despise dirty talk or evil thinking. "Walk soflty in the sanctuary" means that in any devotional excersise, the Pathfinder will be quiet, careful, and reverent. "Keep a song in my heart" means to be cheerful and happy and let the influence of the Pathfinder's life be as sunshine to others.
[edit] History
[edit] Timeline
See Pathfinders (Historical Timeline) for the full 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 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
- 1979 - 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
- 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).
[edit] Uniform
[edit] Class Levels
[edit] Class Levels
The Pathfinders organization involves children and teenagers from grade 5-12. Class levels, which are like ranks, are each assigned to one school grade level. Class Levels are earned by completing certain requirements for that specific level. Pathfinders can also earn an advanced Class Level, an extensions of a certain Class Level, by completing extra requirements.
The Pathfinder Adevntist Youth Class Levels:
- Friend - 5th Grade
- Trail Friend (advanced class)
- Companion - 6th Grade
- Trail Companion (advanced class)
- Explorer - 7th Grade
- Frontier Explorer (advanced class)
- Ranger - 8th Grade
- Frontier Ranger (advanced class)
- Voyager - 9th Grade
- Wilderness Voyager (advanced class)
- Guide - 10th Grade
- Wilderness Guide (advanced class)
[edit] Teen Leadership Training
[edit] Honors
There are more than 360 Adventist Youth (AY) honors worldwide.
[edit] Events and Activities
[edit] Activities
In addition to meeting regularly and earning Class Levels and Honors, Pathfinder clubs participate 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 witnessing activities such as helping out in nursing homes, can collecting for the needy, workbees, volunteering, etc. Activities vary per club.
[edit] Events
Common events to Pathfinders worldwide include in the participation area, conference, union, or divisional camporees. These camporees may be similar to the Boyscouts's. But the only pathfinder who can do every single one is Bob(which is me).
[edit] International Camporees
Every 5 years, Seventh-Day Adventist divisions hold division-wide camporees.
The North American Division has hosted 5 international camporees:
- Camp Hale was held in Camp Hale, Colorado in 1985
- Friendship was held in Pennsylvania in 1989
- Dare to Care was held in Colorado in 1994
- Discover the Power was held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1999
- Faith on Fire was held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2004
- Courage to Stand will be held once again in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2009
