Our history
Our History
Pathfinder History
The Seventh-day Adventist Church affiliated Pathfinders organization was created as the Missionary Volunteer Society in 1907. It was known as MV, JMV and AJY over the new few years, before adopting the name Pathfinders for the first time in 1927. Although it may appear to be focused on camps, its history also has the concept of service and self-achievement as features.
SDA Pathfinder Historical Timeline
1907 - Missionary Volunteer Societies organized
1908 - Junior Reading Course
- First MV Day, March 7 1909 Junior MV Societies organized
1911 - MV Leaflet Series began
1922 - JMV (now AJY) Progressive Classes introduced - Friend and Companion
- A. W. Spalding and Harriet Hold advocate basic idea of Pathfinder Clubs
1926 - First junior camp held in USA (Town Line Lake, Michigan)
1927 - Master Comrade (now Master Guide) officially approved
1928 - Southern California's first youth camp, San Gabriel Canyon
- Vocational honors introduced
1929 - "Pathfinder" name first used at a summer camp in Southeastern California
1930 - Pre-JMV/AJY classes developed
1931 - First Master Comrade Investiture
1932 - First JMV Pathfinder Camp is purchased in Idyllwild, California
1938 - Master Comrade Manual published
1946 - First conference-sponsored Pathfinder Club (Riverside, California)
- Pathfinder Club emblem designed by John H. Hancock
1947 - First North American Division Youth Congress in San Francisco, California
1948 - Helen Hobbs makes the Pathfinder flag
- First area Pathfinder coordinators appointed (Central California Conference)
1949 - Henry Bergh writes Pathfinder song
1950 - General Conference authorizes JMV Pathfinder clubs for world field
- Pathfinder Staff Training Course and How to Start a Pathfinder Club booklet
1951 - First Pathfinder Fair, September 23, Dinuba, California
- Master Comrade changed to Master Guide
- Pathfinder Staff Manual published
1952 - Pathfinder song copyrighted
1954 - First Pathfinder Camporee, May 7-9, Idyllwild, California
1956 - Explorer class added.
1957 - JMV Pathfinder Day added to church calendar
1960 - First Union Camporee, April 11-14, Lone Pine, California
1962 - MV Pathfinder Field Guide
- Pathfinder Drill Manual Published
1963 - John Hancock elected World Pathfinder Director
1965 - JMV Handbook combined with Master Guide Manual to be MV Handbook
1966 - Pioneer Class added (later changed to Ranger)
- First North American MV Camp Directory published
1970 - Pioneer Class name changed to Ranger (8th Grade)
1974 - Pathfinder Staff Manual revised and expanded
1979 - MV changed to AY (Missionary Volunteer --> Adventist Youth)
- JMV changed to AJY (Junior Missionary Volunteer --> Adventist Junior Youth)
- Pre-AJY changed to Adventurers (4 yrs. - 4th grade)
1980 - Les Pitton elected NAD Youth Director
- MV Camp Directory changed to World Adventist Youth Camp Directory
1981 - Pathfinders Sing Songbook published
1982 - New Pathfinder World replaces MV World
- Voyager Class added
- NAD Pathfinder uniform revised
1985 - Norm Middag appointed NAD Pathfinder Director
- First NAD Pathfinder Camporee, Camp Hale, Colorado
1987 - Current NAD Pathfinder emblem designed by Norm Middag
1989 - NAD Pathfinder Honors Manual revised, new honors added
- Friendship Camporee in Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Columbia Union
- New AY Classwork Curriculum integrated in Pathfinder curriculum
- Adventurer Program becomes an independent program from Pathfinders
1993 - Restructuring results in Office of Pathfinder Ministries
1994 - "Dare to Care" International Pathfinder Camporee, August 2-6, Denver, Colorado
1995 - Teen Leadership Training (TLT) Program established for training High school students
(grades 9-12)
- First Pathfinder Web Site established
- First Pathfinder Club web page, Fort Worth Eagles, Fort Worth, Texas
1996 - Basic Staff Training, Pathfinder Leadership Award (PLA), & Pathfinder Instructor
- Award (PIA) curriculum developed
1997 - Willie Oliver becomes NAD Director of Pathfinder & Camp Ministries
- NAD Pathfinder Honors Manual revised, new honors added
- NAD Pathfinder Staff Manual updated
1999 - NAD Pathfinder Web Site established
- Discover the Power International Camporee held in Osh kosh WI (USA) with an
attendance of over 20,000.
2000 - Elder James Black appointed to be NAD Youth Ministries director, overseeing Youth,
Pathfinder, Adventurer, and Camp Ministries
- Pathfinder Uniform changed to Black & Tan
2001 - AY Honor Handbook adds 17 new Honors as well as several International Honors.
2003 - NAD Youth Ministries develops Website Community ministering to Youth, Pathfinders,
Adventurers, and Camping Ministries (YPAC).
2004 - NAD Pathfinder Ministries under the leadership of James Black and Ron Whitehead hosts
the Faith on Fire International NAD Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI (USA) with over
32,000 tickets sold, and close to 200 Pathfinders baptized at the event.