Pathfinders are a worldwide organization of young people sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though young people of any religious persuasion, or none at all, are welcome and encouraged to join the organization.
Pathfinders offer a wide range of activities including, but not limited to:
- Camping & camping/survival skills
- Grade appropriate leadership training
- Activities promoting community pride & involvement through outreach activities such as helping in downtown soup kitchens, collecting food for the disadvantaged, cleaning & maintaining city and county parks, visiting and encouraging the elderly, and MANY more
- Interactive training in a variety of recreational, artistic, nature, conservation, vocational, and outreach areas, with awards (honors) given for successful completion of the interactive training modules
- Personal care and encouragement by a caring staff member! While many school classrooms have 10-30 students per teacher, Pathfinders offers AT LEAST a 1 staff member to every 5 Pathfinder ratio!
Joining a Local Pathfinders Club
Pathfinders is for those who are in the fifth (5th) grade or its equivalent through the eighth (8th) grade. 5th and 6th graders are often referred to as “Junior” pathfinders, and 7th and 8th graders are often referred to as “Teen” Pathfinders.
The Teen Leadership Training (TLT) program works closely with the Pathfinder program and is for high school students (grades 9-12).
Staff positions are available in many locations that offer adults the opportunity to make a difference for young people, develop friendships with fellow staff, learn more about God’s creation, and improve their training skills.
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.
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.
Classes
Here is a list of Pathfinder Achievement Classes our club offers:
- Friend: Friends are Pathfinders in 5th grade. Friends recite the Pathfinder law and pledge, earn the Friend reading certificate, and much more. Some of the fun and exciting honors Friends can earn are Red Alert, Basic Sewing, Dogs, Beginning Swimming, Scrapbooking, Model Cars, and Camping Skills I.
- Companion: Companions are Pathfinders in 6th grade. Companions recite the Pathfinder pledge and law, earn the Companion reading certificate, and more. Some of the fun and exciting honors Companions can earn are Drilling and Marching, Leather Craft, Sign Language, Reptiles, Flowers, Basketball, and Camping Skills II.
- Explorer: Explorers are Pathfinders in 7th grade. Explorers recite the Pathfinder pledge and law, illustrate through words and actions the Pathfinder pledge meaning, and earn the Explorer reading certificate. Some of the fun and exciting honors Explorers can earn are Christian Grooming and Manners, Family Life, Cake Decorating, Textile Painting, Track and Field, Basic Rescue, and Camping Skills III.
- Ranger: Rangers are Pathfinders in 8th grade. Rangers recite the Pathfinder pledge and law, illustrate through words and actions the Pathfinder law meaning, and earn the Ranger reading certificate. Some of the fun and exciting honors Rangers can earn are Christian Citizenship, First Aid, Quilting, Photography, Bee Keeping, Automobile Mechanics, and Camping Skills IV.
- Voyager: Voyagers are Pathfinders in 9th grade. Voyagers recite the Adventist Youth (AY) aim, motto, and pledge, illustrate through words and actions the AY aim meaning, and earn the Voyager reading certificate. Some of the fun and exciting honors Voyagers can earn are Internet – Advanced, Scuba Diving, Advanced Communications, Advanced Genealogy, Paper Quilling – Advanced, Outdoor Leadership, and Wilderness Living. Additionally, Voyagers teach Camping Skills I and Camping Skills II to other Pathfinders.
- Guide: Guides are Pathfinders in 10th grade. Guides recite the Adventist Youth (AY) aim, pledge, and motto, illustrate through words and actions the AY aim meaning, and earn the Guide reading certificate. Some of the fun and exciting honors Guides can earn are Digital Photography, Christian Drama, Geocaching – Advanced, Copper Enameling – Advanced, House Painting – Interior, Pioneering, and Junior Youth Leadership. Additionally, Guides teach Knot Tying, Red Alert, Camping Skills III, and Camping Skills IV to other Pathfinders.
Song
