Programming & Planning—

PFAD 003

Description
This workshop covers planning Pathfinder programs. It discusses the typical elements of a Pathfinder
year including Induction, Pathfinder Sabbath, community service, Investiture, and conference events.
It examines the components of regular meetings: opening ceremonies, Investiture Achievement, and
honors.

Audience/Participants required Friend level honors (Camping Skills

New Pathfinder staff and individuals com- 1, Christian Citizenship, Red Alert, Seeds)
pleting the prerequisites for Master Guide. 5. Handout: Sample Weekly Meeting Outline.
(Samples available in this document)
Resource Material 6. Handout: Sample Staff Meeting Agenda
• Pathfinder Administrative Manual 7. Handout: Investiture Achievement Over-
• Achievement classes view Chart, instead of Investiture Achieve-
• Pathfinder honors ment: A Director’s Guide

Handouts to be prepared based on What Your Participants Will Learn

local Conference guidelines 1. Evaluate the club’s mission and goals and
1. Handout: Calendar of Conference Events relate it to your club planning
(If available) 2. Build a yearly club calendar that incorpo-
2. Handout: Sample of a Local Club Year Cal- rates your conference and school calendars
endar 3. Incorporate aspects of Investiture Achieve-
3. Handout: Investiture Achievement Record ment into yearly club calendar
Card, Friend requirements which distinguish- 4. Plan weekly club meetings with opening
es between Friend and Trail Friend and closing ceremonies
4. Handout: Honor Requirement Sheets for

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Workshop Content When planning your club’s calendar, begin by
Club Mission, Goals, and Planning gathering other calendars that you will need
The purpose of the Pathfinder club is to in- to coordinate with. These include church
troduce young people to Jesus Christ and to school and conference calendars. Distribute
help them grow in Him. The Pathfinder club a copy of the Conference Pathfinder newslet-
program will help them develop their body, ter and review the yearly calendar specifying
mind and spirit. With these skills, our young the events that are mandatory and those that
people are able to carry on the work of the are optional. Handout—Calendar of Confer-
church and bring others to the feet of Jesus. ence Events.
More than just skills, we want young people Once you have gathered all necessary infor-
to build a relationship with Christ as their mation, begin to set your meeting sched-
Lord and Savior, thus giving them the rela- ule, what day of the week you will meet at
tional experience with Jesus that they need what time. Some clubs meet every week, and
to lead their friends to know Him too. some meet twice a month. Determine what
Review the Pathfinder mission statement schedule works for your club. Once you know
and goals. Discuss how these are important your weekly schedule, begin planning major
to keep in mind when planning club meet- programs such as Induction, Pathfinder Sab-
ings and activities. bath, club campouts, fundraisers, Investiture,
etc. Go over a possible year calendar. Hand-
Building a Club Calendar out—Sample Club Year Calendar.
It is challenging to develop the Pathfinder
club yearly calendar. It takes time and effort Weekly Club Meeting Programming
to gather all the planning details and people Most Pathfinder clubs meet on a weekly ba-
together to make a plan, but it must be done sis; however, some only meet twice a month.
if your club is going to succeed. Know that How often a club meets, when it meets, and
your club’s calendar planning is crucial for where it meets should determine duration of
the success of your club. a club meeting.

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Activities
• Review the Handout—Sample Weekly Club Meeting Outline.
• Demonstrate opening ceremonies with your participants.

Church Board Approval scope and sequence of Investiture Achieve-

The church board must approve the Pathfind- ment. Area Coordinators and other experi-
er Club’s annual calendar. This provides two enced Pathfinder staff are available to help
important advantages for the club. First, it you learn how to implement the many In-
builds board members’ respect for the Path- vestiture Achievement tasks into your club’s
finder Club. When the board is aware of the planning and programming. Introduce the six
club’s plans, the club is in a better position basic Investiture Achievement titles and their
to ask for monetary considerations when the corresponding grade level.
board develops the annual church budget.
Second, the church board must approve all Activity
Pathfinder activities in order for them to be Give each participant the scope and se-
covered by the church’s insurance. quence Friend and Trail Friend. Go over the
Handout Friend Requirements which distin-
Investiture Achievement Planning guishes between Friend and Trail Friend, and
Investiture Achievement (IA) is the core cur- show how they can be incorporated into the
riculum for Pathfinder club ministry. Most weekly meetings. Note that some activities
activities and events can be developed and are seasonal.
planned to fulfill the requirements through- Handout—Honor Requirement Sheets for
out the Pathfinder year. Therefore, it is im- Friend Honors (Camping Skills 1, Christian
portant that you spend time grasping the Citizenship, Red Alert, Seeds)

26 Club Ministry Training Manual

Staff Meetings • Build your yearly club calendar that incor-
In addition to club meetings, Pathfinder Club porates your conference and school calen-
Staff should meet at least once per month or dars.
more to plan all the details for club nights as • Incorporate aspects of Investiture Achieve-
well as other events and activities. Staff meet- ment into your yearly club calendar. Refer
ings are crucial to the success of a Pathfinder to Handout -Sample Year Calendar (which
club! The club mission and goals should de- incorporates both Investiture Achievement
termine the regularity of staff meetings rath- and honors over a school year).
er than the convenience of time. • Plan a weekly club meeting with opening
Give each participant Handout—Sample and closing ceremonies. (Handout—Sample
Staff Meeting Agenda and Follow-up Min- Weekly Meeting Outline).
utes. Note the importance of an agenda, and • Outline the agenda for a single staff meet-
the function of meeting minutes. ing preparing for a Friend honor, Camping
Staff meetings should include but are not Skills 1.
limited to the following:
• Opening prayer
• Treasurer’s report
• Investiture Achievement
• Honors
• Special programs (Induction, Pathfinder
Sabbath, Investiture, etc.)
• Outreach projects
• Calendar events and changes
• Conference events
• Specific items of interest for your club
• Planning session for at least 3 to 6 months
in advance
• Closing prayer Activities

Club Ministry Training Manual 27

 Simple Club Program 1
Time Activity Leader
10:00 Opening Ceremony Director
Fall in by units
Color Guard
Flag Salute (music background)
Pledge of Allegiance
Pathfinder Pledge
Inspection
Devotional and Prayer Pathfinder
10:15 Attendance Record Unit Captains
Pathfinder Class levels (check) Counselors
Unit Programming Counselors
10:30 Committee report on upcoming event Deputy Director
10:35 Games: (Emphasize the importance of obeying
the rules. Have one Pathfinder already chosen
to break the rules and help him to be a good
athlete and obey the rules)
10:35 Guest Speaker: Chief of Police
“Importance of the Law” (Present examples of
laws in nature, mechanics, etc. and why are so
important)
11:15 Announcements Director
11:20 Closing Ceremony Director
Director’s Minute (Emphasizing the importance
of keeping the law of the Pathfinder code)
Pathfinder Law Pathfinder
Prayer Pathfinder
11:27 Club meeting dismissed Director
11:30 Leave for home

Notes

1. The Pathfinders are in full class A dress uniform because of the guest speaker.
2. Every program should have a purpose. Today’s program was to help us see we have to live by law
(man’s law, recreational laws, God’s law and the Pathfinder law).
3. Keep on time according to schedule provided.
4. All adult staff members should have a copy of the program.
5. Where possible, mentor Pathfinder participation in leadership roles.

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 Simple Club Program 2
Time Activity Leader
10:00 Opening Ceremony Director
Fall in by units
Color Guard
Flag Salute (music background)
Pledge of Allegiance
Pathfinder Pledge
Inspection
Devotional and Prayer Pathfinder
10:15 Attendance Record Unit Captains
Pathfinder Class levels (check) Counselors
Inspirational story Spiritual Cordinator
10:25 Honor clases Deputy Director
11:20 Closing Ceremony Director
Director’s Announcements Director
Pathfinder Law Pathfinder
Prayer Pathfinder Captain
11:27 Club meeting dismissed Director
11:30 Leave for home

Notes
1. The Pathfinder full class A dress uniform does not need to be worn at all club meetings.
2. This morning focused on honors.
3. Keep on time according to schedule provided.
4. All adult staff members should have a copy of the program.
5. When the weather permits, have the opening and closing ceremony outdoors.
6. Select an honorable Pathfinder to bring in the national flag.
7. File all program schedules for reference purposes.
8. Where possible, mentor Pathfinder participation in leadership roles.

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 Simple Club Program 3
Time Activity Leader
10:00 Opening Ceremony Director
Devotional and Prayer Special Guest
10:15 Unit Meeting Counselors
Attendance Record Unit Captains
Pathfinder Class levels (check) Counselors
Unit Programming Counselors
10:30 Committee Reports on Coming Field Trip Deputy Director
10:35 Games Led by Guides
10:50 Guest Speaker Firefighter
11:15 Closing Ceremony Director
Director’s Announcements Director
Pathfinder Pledge and Law Pathfinder
Prayer Director
11:27 Club meeting dismissed
11:30 Leave for home

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 Simple Club Program 4
Time Activity Leader
10:00 Opening Ceremony Director
Fall in by units
Pathfinder Song
Prayer Pathfinder
Captains Report Captains
Flag Ceremony
Pledge and Law Deputy Director
Devotional Guest
10:30 Unit Meeting Counselor
Pathfinder Class levels (check) Counselors
10:40 Honors Instructor
10:40 Fall in by Units Director
Drill or Inspection Drill Instructor
11:55 Director’s Announcements Director
11:27 Benediction and Dismissal Director
11:30 Leave for home

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