Pathfinder Club
Pathfinders
Leadership
The volunteer leadership, skilled in a myriad of unusual abilities and interests are, first and foremost, strong believers in Jesus Christ and are sure of the road they are taking towards eternal life. They consider the Pathfinder club an experimental laboratory where growth and learning are synonymous with fun. Failure is not expected, but rather all activity becomes a tool for learning.
Activities
The imagination of its leadership and members are the primary limiting factors of a club's abilities. Activities encourage a range from community/civic service projects in their community and across the globe to nature and environmental conservation studies to camping and high adventure trips. Pathfindering challenges the unique talents of each member. Pathfindering is built on an age-specific curriculum of six levels along with approximately 350 specialized skill development topics covering arts and crafts, aquatics, nature, household arts, recreation, spiritual development, health, and vocational training. These often serve as a launching point for lifetime careers or hobbies.
Mark Magau
Pathfinder Director
Contacts: +260973 355 008
Mweendalubi Chikumbe
Deputy Pathfinder Director
Contacts:
Hamungala R. Blessed
Secretary
contact: +26097711 5940
Pathfinder Administrative manual
Follow this link to download the Pathfinder Administrative manual https://youth.adventist.org/Ministries/Pathfinders/Download-Resource-Manuals
How to Organize a Pathfinder Club
- Counsel with the Conference Youth Ministries personnel.
- Meet with the Pastor and Conference Youth Ministries personnel.
- Present your plans to the Church Board. Church Board authorizes the organization of the Pathfinder Club. Familiarize Board members with the Pathfinder philosophy, aims, and objectives.
- Second meeting of the Church Board (or Nominating Committee) with Conference Youth Ministries personnel or Pathfinder area coordinator present, to elect Pathfinder director and deputies.
- Inform congregation during Divine Service about Pathfinder Club, its objectives and program.
- Pathfinder officers elect remaining Executive Committee members.
- First meeting of Pathfinder Executive Committee to elect remaining Pathfinder staff as needed.
- Pathfinder officers and staff attend Conference Pathfinder Basic Staff Training Course.
- Call Pathfinder Executive Committee meeting to plan yearly program.
- Present all plans at a Pathfinder Staff Meeting.
- Advertise the program at least six weeks before opening night.
- Write letters or personally contact the potential Pathfinder families.
- Enrollment night - completion of Pathfinder Passport applications.
- Home visitation by Pathfinder counselors.
- Induction Ceremony - Pathfinder Passports given out.
- Establishing church and community interest.
- Evaluation.
- To be considered for Pathfinder Club membership the applicant must be at least 10 years of age and no more than 15 years of age. Where two clubs exist; children aged 10 to 12 will join the junior club and those aged 13 to 15 will join the teen club. (In some areas school level is used as the guidelines).
- Application forms for membership available from the club director/secretary must be completed and returned to the club staff committee for consideration and induction as a club member.
- A Pathfinder Passport is available upon application to the club director/secretary. (Optional)
- All members must pay membership and insurance fees as required by the club executive committee.
- Each Pathfinder should have and regularly wear the complete Pathfinder dress uniform and a club field uniform where applicable.
- Pathfinders must come to meetings and club-sponsored events in the uniform as indicated by the club director.
- Members must be faithful in attendance. Many clubs establish limits on absences and tardies, and Pathfinders who do not comply with these regulations may be placed on probation or be asked to withdraw from club membership.
- Pathfinders must learn and keep the Pledge and Law.
- Club activities include crafts, outings, regular club meetings and Classwork, fund raising, camp-outs, outreach activities, honors, and other activities. The Pathfinder must agree before joining the club to participate and cooperate in these activities.
- The Pathfinder’s parents must be willing to cooperate with the regulations and activities of the club. At times they will be asked to supply money and time to support their child’s membership.
- All elected directors and regular staff are members of the club by virtue of their office.
AIM
The Advent Message to all the world in my generation.
MOTTO
The love of Christ compels us.
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.
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.
Philosophy
Objectives
This philosophy is an integral part of the club. The Pathfinder Club curriculum of six classes and nearly 250 Honors lies at the heart of the program. The following objectives can be achieved as the club leaders seek to fulfill these.
- Help the young people to understand that God and His church love them, care for them, and appreciate them. As Pathfinders are accepted and affirmed they will begin to appreciate the love of God revealed through the church and its ministry, and feel a need to be more committed to and involved with its program.
- Encourage Pathfinders to discover their own God-given potential and to use their gifts and abilities to fulfill God's expectations for them and the part they can play in the great plan of salvation.
- Inspire young people to give personal expression of their love for God by uniting them together in various outreach activities.
- Make the number one priority of your club program the personal salvation of every Pathfinder. The Pathfinder age is a time when many decisions are being made that will affect the youth's future relationships and his or her own personal development. The peak time for discovering and making a relationship with God seems to be around 12 years of age.
- Build into a Pathfinder's life a healthy appreciation and love for God's creation by enjoying outdoor activity (campouts, nature walks, nature honors, etc.). Pathfinders will experience a sense of wonder and worship as they observe and explore the beauty, the majesty, and the creative power in nature. Fellowship with God will become more meaningful.
- Teach Pathfinders specific skills and hobbies that will make their lives more meaningful and will occupy their time with profitable accomplishments. Young people experience satisfaction and delight as they use their hands to fashion 5 useful articles from wood, plastic, steel, clay, felt and yarn and as they discover how things work and operate.
- Encourage the Pathfinder to keep physically fit. This is one important way to safeguard against idleness and boredom. Teach children to care for their body and establish habits that will provide for their future happiness and usefulness (cf. 2T 536, 537; Educ. 195).
- Give opportunity for the development of leadership by encouraging club members to work together and share in leadership responsibility. This will teach them to learn the lessons of obedience, discipline, resourcefulness, patriotism and the processes of group dynamics.
- Seek to foster the harmonious development of the physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual life of the Pathfinder. The invigoration of mind and body, the fostering of an unselfish spirit, the attention to recreational and cultural activities, will provide stimulus for personal growth and act as an outlet for that restless energy, which is so often a destructive source of danger to the young person.
The Pathfinder Club is a worldwide program organized and directed by the Youth Department of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It offers a wide range of learning experiences for young people 10 to 15 years of age and is operated by the local Seventh-day Adventist church under the direction and control of the local conference youth director. Each Pathfinder Club is administered by a club director, deputy directors, counselors, instructors, chaplain, secretary, and treasurer. The club is divided into separate units, each unit averaging between six to eight Pathfinders, including a captain and scribe.
Pathfinder Chart Organization
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Pathfinder Club Members
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Counselors & Instructors
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Deputy Directors & other support staff
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Club Director
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Local Church Board
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Area Coordinators
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Local Conference Pathfinder Director
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Union Pathfinder Director
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Division Pathfinder Director
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General Conference Pathfinder Director
The Pathfinder Club has a flag, bearing the Pathfinder’s Club Emblem. The flag is flown at local and conference Pathfinder programs and activities. There is a specially designed full-dress uniform and also a field uniform. The Pathfinder Club has a Pledge and Law, highlighting the spiritual basis on which the club is built. The club operates on a 9, 10, 11, or12 month calendar year, with a weekly or biweekly program of at least 1½, 2, or 3 hours' duration. Within this 1½, 2, or 3 hour period the Pathfinders perform drill and marching, crafts and/or hobbies and games, as well as taking part in devotional activities and class work. There are six classes, with given names, which begin at 10 years of age and conclude at 15 years. Each class is represented by a chosen color as listed.
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Friend - 10 years - Blue
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Companion - 11 years - Red
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Explorer - 12 years - Green
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Ranger - 13 years - Silver
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Voyager - 14 years - Burgundy
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Guide - 15 years - Gold
At the completion of the classwork requirements, the Pathfinder receives insignia as an award consisting of a pin, Pathfinder Class pocket strip and chevron at a special Investiture service.
Why Achievement Classes?
Pathfinder Uniforms Specifications
Uniform
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The Pathfinder uniform helps make the Pathfinder program real and visible. It is emblematic and representative of the worldwide club’s ideals and standards. Each individual member becomes a very vital representative of the organization, and wearing the uniform will help to provide a consciousness of belonging to a club that rightly represents the Adventist youth of today. If the uniform is worn as ordinary clothing it will have failed in its purpose. |
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The uniform should always be neat and clean. To wear it commonly for ordinary play or work lowers its dignity. The Pathfinder Club program should be so valuable to each member that the uniform will be acquired and worn with enthusiasm.
Uniforms should be worn:
- At all Pathfinder meetings
- At any public gathering when any or all act as: Messengers, Ushers, Guard of honor, Color Guards
- On occasions as specified by Pathfinder director
- At special Pathfinder services
- While engaging in witness activity, or community service such as Ingathering, distributing food baskets, flowers, literature, etc.
Uniforms should not be worn:
- By nonmembers
- When engaged in selling or solicitation for personal profit, or for commercial or political purposes
- At any time or place when it’s wearing discounts the organization or casts reflection upon the uniform, lowers its dignity and esteem, and makes it commonplace.
The Uniform
The official uniform for the Adventurer, Pathfinders, Master-Guide, and Ambassador is stipulated by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist® Youth Ministries Department. Any deviation or changes, including, but not limited to, the uniform’s style and color, must first be authorized by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist® Youth Ministries Department.
Basic Uniform
Should include the Pathfinder world emblem and the Pathfinder scarf. Other insignia and styles of uniforms are determined by each Division in keeping with the norms and economic conditions of the fields under their care.
The Insignia
While the uniform of the Pathfinder Club varies in regions or even countries around the world, the insignia and where they are placed are well nigh universally the same. Designing and setting the position of the insignia and/or working any changes or additions is the responsibility of the World Pathfinder Director and the General Conference in consultation with the divisions. Clubs, conferences, unions and divisions may make no exceptions or variations without the definite permission from the World Pathfinder Headquarters.
The insignia are divided into two categories:
- Identification Insignia are the group of emblems that signify the organization to which the person belongs.
- Recognition/award Insignia are emblems indicating class achievement, position, or special achievements in conduct or service.
The following are a description and position of official Pathfinder Club Identification Insignia:
Pathfinder Triangle Emblem
This is the symbol that represents the Pathfinder Club. The 2-inch (5-cm.) triangle is worn on the cap, beret, etc. The Pathfinder Club emblem 3-inch triangle (7.5-cm.) in the local language is worn on the right-hand sleeve, shoulder high.
Pathfinder Club Name
These are worn on the right sleeve of the shirt/girl’s blouse, and dress uniform jacket ½-inch (1.2 cm.) below the shoulder seam. It is worn above the staff name strip and Pathfinder triangle on the right-hand sleeve.
Staff-Office Sleeve Strips
Area/district director/coordinator, club director, deputy director, instructor, counselor, and junior counselor may wear a strip designating their position; it is centered below the club name 2-inch (5 cm.) below the shoulder seam and ¼-inch (.08-cm.) above the Pathfinder triangle on the right-hand sleeve.
Pathfinder World Emblem
This oval symbol, containing the Pathfinder triangle, represents the worldwide organization of Pathfinder Clubs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This symbol is worn on the left-hand sleeve of shirt/girl’s blouse, and dress uniform jacket. It is positioned ½-inch (1.2-cm.) below the shoulder seam.
Neckerchief, Pathfinder
This is yellow in color with the World Pathfinder emblem as the logo on the back. An optional slide is available. This may be worn by all inducted Pathfinders and Non-Master Guide Staff.
Neckerchief, Master Guide
This is yellow in color with the Master Guide Crest printed on the tip of the triangle. The distinctive Master Guide slide with the Master Guide Crest is used with the neckerchief. It is to be worn only by those invested as Master Guides.
Pathfinder Class Chevrons
The following are a description of Pathfinder recognition insignia: Are located on the left sleeve below the Pathfinder world emblem. The order from top to bottom is Master Guide, Guide, Voyager, Ranger, Explorer, Companion, and Friend. All persons (Master Guide Included) should wear only the class insignia in which they have been invested.
Master Guide Star
An embroidered gold star is worn on left-hand sleeve. When all Pathfinder classes and the Master Guide course have been completed, the Master Guide Star and all the individual chevrons may be worn.
Pathfinder Class Pins
Upon Investiture for each class, the Pathfinder obtains a pin of recognition to be worn on the uniform: These may be worn centered across the top of the left pocket. The Master Guide pin would be placed in the center at the top of the left pocket with pins of other classes in which the Master Guide has been invested centered in a row below, or the Master Guide may choose to wear only the Master Guide pin. When advanced level insignia have been earned, the class pins may be placed on the sash.
Class Pocket Strip
Centered just above the left pocket of the shirt or blouse is the Pathfinder Class pocket strip for the highest Pathfinder Class in which the individual has been invested. It should be level with the top of the uniform shirt pocket.
Advanced Pathfinder Class Ribbon/Bar
This is worn only by those completing the requirements, on the left side of shirt or dress just above the Pathfinder Class pocket strip.
Pathfinder Excellence Ribbon
This is worn on the left side of shirt, blouse, or dress above the pocket. It is usually above the Pathfinder Class pocket strip or Advanced Pathfinder Class Ribbons.
Captain and Scribe Badges
To be worn by captain and scribe on the sash, or positioned above the right pocket, on the shirt/blouse.
Pathfinder Honor Sash
This is worn over the right shoulder (under neckerchief) and under the left arm, the lower point of the sash resting against the left side of the body. It serves as a collecting point for Honor patches and all other Pathfinder related emblems the wearer has earned. (Traded items are not to be included here.)
Pathfinder Staff Service Stars
These are obtained from the conference/mission director. There are two options: 1) Embroidered fabric stars may be worn on the right sleeve centered ¼-inch (0.08-cm.) below the point of the 3-inch (7.5-cm.) Pathfinder triangle emblem. 2) Metal stars may be worn on the left pocket. Only one star with the numeral indicating the accumulated years of verifiable service should be worn.
An optional green epaulette is worn by teen Pathfinders, junior counselors, counselors and instructors. Optional gold stripes, bars, stars or various colored braids are worn for each level of conference leadership. These items are selected by local conferences, unions, or Divisions. Not more than one option may be worn and must be standard within the organization level selecting in.
Militarism
The use of a uniform in Pathfindering provides many positive results. It meets certain psychological needs of the Pathfinder age bracket; it encourages what could be called upgraded behavior; and it provides a sense of cohesiveness.
In most regions the official uniform adopted in many ways resembles local military uniforms as local laws will or will not allow. While this is acceptable to a degree, those who have the decision making authority must be very careful to not create nor allow militarism to creep into Pathfindering. Militarism is defined as the use of military discipline and the wholesale adoption of military-style uniforms that would create confusion in the minds of those who do not know what Pathfindering represents. Around the world there are governments that are very sensitive to the existence of paramilitary organizations. Pathfindering in other parts of the world cannot be seen by these governments as involved in training guerrilla or terrorist-type personnel. Camouflage, combat boots, “blousing” of pant legs, and other similar military practices in uniforms should not be used at all. No military insignia are allowed. The Pathfinder scarf should always be worn as part of the dress (Class A) uniform to distance it from the traditional military uniform. Attaching weapons to dress uniforms such as swords, bayonets, or machetes and guns even if they are fake ones should not be allowed even in drill ceremonies.
Purpose
While Pathfindering is designated to help youth appreciate the value of group participation, it should not be forgotten that there is scope for the development of the youth as an individual. A major part of Pathfinders is group activity. This is vital in learning the art of cooperation, which is a necessary ingredient in the make-up of a well balanced Christian.
The Pathfinder Excellence Award has been developed to recognize individual achievement over a one-year period of time. As in the class investiture pins and Honor tokens the Pathfinder Excellence Award should be awarded only to those who have reached a high standard of Pathfinder efficiency as outlined in these criteria.
Selection Process
Toward the close of the Pathfinder year the Pathfinder Club executive committee acts as the awards-recognition-selection group for their club. They will compare each Pathfinder’s record of achievement with the criteria to establish who in the club qualifies for this award. (More than one way may qualify as well as none may qualify.)
Criteria
The following criteria must be applied by the Pathfinder executive committee when deciding whether a club member is entitled to the Pathfinder Excellence Award:
The Pathfinder
- Is an active member of the Pathfinder Club and has been for two or more years.
- Is an example in uniform requirements, is on time for all meetings, and actively works as a leader in their unit.
- Believes in and lives up to the Pathfinder Pledge and Law. Displays a loyalty to these Pathfinder ideals and holds them as a sacred honor.
- Willingly accepts assigned responsibilities and demonstrates initiative and leadership in carrying them out simply or in a team effort.
- Maintains personal equipment in the best possible condition.
- Relates to all races and entire groups in a positive Christian manner.
- Annually completes the current Pathfinder Class and, in addition, earns the offered Honors.
When the Award Should Be Presented and Who Should Present It
The Pathfinder Excellence Award is preferably to be made at a Pathfinder Day program in the church by the ranking Pathfinder leader or at the annual Investiture program by the investing leader or at the Conference camporee or fair by the conference youth leader.
How Should it be Worn?
Above the advanced class ribbon awards during the year following the award presentation. If the Pathfinder does not re-qualify, then it must be placed in the Pathfinder’s inventory of mementos. The award may only be worn during the year following recognition.
When Should it be Worn?
The award becomes an integral part of the dress uniform and may be worn for 1 year from the date of presentation. After the close of each year, the wearer is reevaluated to determine continuance of privilege or loss of privilege. Once a Pathfinder leaves the club, he/she may keep the award for permanent usage only if he/she qualified during his final year. Adults not having been Pathfinders should not wear it.
The Pathfinder Club has a flag, bearing the Pathfinder’s Club Emblem. The flag is flown at local and conference Pathfinder programs and activities.
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