Who started Pathfinders?  The short answer is that no one person did, but rather that a diverse group of youth-focused, God-loving, ministry-minded individuals in various location created “Pathfinder-like” clubs in various locations that eventually grew into the ministry we now know as Pathfinders.

The first Pathfinder Club of record was in Anaheim, California directed by John McKim and Willa Steen.  This club began in the late 1920’s and ran through the 1930’s.   In 1944 McKim died and the Steens had moved.  In 1930 Lester and Ione Martin with co-directors Theron & Ethel Johnston began a club in Santa Ana, California.

Both of these first clubs were in the Southeastern California Conference and encouraged by Youth Director Elder Guy Mann and his associate Laurance A. Skinner.  For several years there were no clubs of record.

In 1946 John H. Hancock, then the youth director for Southeastern California Conference got a club going in Riverside, California.  John designed the Pathfinder triangle emblem and got a ministerial student, Francis Hunt to direct the club.   Both John and his wife Helen Hancock taught honors.

By 1947-48 Southern California Conference began having Pathfinder clubs – the first at Glendale, with Lawrence Paulson as director.  About that same time, the Central California Conference, under the direction of Youth Director Henry T. Bergh, began their Pathfinder program — starting 23 clubs that first year.

Beginning with the God-directed program, called Pathfinder Clubs, in California, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church adopted the program.  It thus, in 1950, became an official worldwide organization of the Adventist church, and grew rapidly.

Pathfinders is now a global ministry affecting thousands (if not millions) of young people worldwide.

Timeline

1907

• Missionary Volunteer Society was founded

1908

• Junior Reading Course

• First Missionary Volunteer Day January 26, 1908

1909

• Junior Missionary Volunteer Societies organized  (JMV)

1911

• MV Leaflet Series began

1913

• First Spanish Reading Course Books

1914

• Junior Manual by Ella Iden-Edwards published

1917

• Junior Bible Year begun

1920

• Harriet Maxson Holt becomes the 1st Junior Secretary (1920-1928)

1922

• JMV (now AJY) Progressive Classes introduced Friend and Companion classes, MV classes (now AY Classes) Comrade and Master Comrade (now Guide and Master Guide — 1951)

• A. W. Spalding and Harriet Hold advocate basic idea of Pathfinder Clubs

1924

• Junior Manual authored by Harriet Maxson Holt

1926

• The first junior camp was held in USA (Town Line Lake, Michigan)

1927

• The first Conference Sponsored Pathfinder Club – Anaheim/Fullerton Churches begum”    John McKim  –   director, Willa Steen Girls director.  Guy Mann Southeastern California Conference Youth Director and Laurence A. Skinner associate youth director

1927/1928

• At some point the term “pathfinder” was first used — early notable was John McKim in Southeastern California Conference.

1928

• Southern California’s first youth camp, San Gabriel Canyon

• First 16 Vocational Merits (now AY Honors) were introduced

1930

• Pre-JMV Classes, Busy Bee, Sun Beam, Builder and Helping Hand developed

1931

• Early Master Comrade Investiture held at GC to highlight / encourage program (first Investiture of Master Comrades occurred earlier)

1932

• First JMV Pathfinder Camp, Idyllwild, purchased

1938

• Master Comrade Manual published

1946

• The first conference-sponsored Pathfinder Club in Riverside, California

• Pathfinder Club emblem designed by John H. Hancock

1947

• The first North American Division Youth Congress was held in San Francisco

1948

• Helen Hobbs made the Pathfinder flag

• First area Pathfinder coordinators appointed (Central California Conference)

1949

• Henry Bergh composed the Pathfinder song

1950

• General Conference authorized the JMV Pathfinder clubs for world field

• Pathfinder Staff Training Course and How to Start a Pathfinder Club booklet was published

1951

• The first Pathfinder Fair was held on September 23 in Dinuba, California

• Master Comrade was changed to Master Guide

• Pathfinder Staff Manual published

1952

• Pathfinder song copyrighted

1954

• The first Pathfinder Camporee was held on May 7-9 in Idyllwild, California

1956

• • Explorer class added

1957

• JMV Pathfinder Day was added to the church calendar

1960

• The first Union Camporee was held on April 11-14, Lone Pine, California

1962

• MV Pathfinder Field Guide published

• Pathfinder Drill Manual published

1963

• John Hancock elected as World Pathfinder Director

1965

• JMV Handbook was combined with Master Guide Manual as MV Handbook

1966

• Pioneer Class was added

• The first North American MV Camp Directory was published

1970

• Pioneer Class name was changed to Ranger Class (8th Grade)

1974

• The Pathfinder Staff Manual was revised and expanded

1979

• Missionary Volunteer (MV) was changed to Adventist Youth (AY)

• Junior Missionary Volunteer (JMV) was changed to Adventist Junior Youth (AJY)

• The Pre-AJY class was changed to Adventurers Club(4 yrs. – 4th grade)

1980

• Les Pitton was elected as North American Division (NAD) Youth Director

• MV Camp Directory was changed to World Adventist Youth Camp Directory

1981

• Pathfinders Sing Songbook was published

1982

• The New Pathfinder World replaced the MV World

• Voyager Class added

• NAD Pathfinder uniform revised

1985

• Norm Middag appointed as NAD Pathfinder Director

• The first NAD Pathfinder Camporee was held in Camp Hale, Colorado, USA

1987

• The current NAD Pathfinder emblem was designed by Norm Middag

1989

• NAD Pathfinder Honors Manual revised, new were honors added

• Friendship Camporee in Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Columbia Union

• New AY Classwork Curriculum integrated in Pathfinder curriculum

• Adventurer Program became an independent program from Pathfinders

1993

• Restructuring resulted in Office of Pathfinder Ministries

1994

• “Dare to Care” International Pathfinder Camporee, August 2–6, Morrison, Colorado, Red Rocks. 12,200 participants. Ron Whitehead, director; Guest Speaker, Leclaire Litchfield.

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 became a 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 Oshkosh, WI (USA) August ?-?, Ron Whitehead, director. 23,000 participants.

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 added 17 new Honors as well as several International Honors.

2003

• NAD Youth Ministries developed a Website Community ministering to Youth, Pathfinders, Adventurers, and Camping Ministries (YPAC).

2004

• ” Faith on Fire” International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI (USA) August 9–14. Ron Whitehead, director. 32,000 participants

2009

• “Courage to Stand” International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI (USA), August 10–15. Ron Whitehead, director. 39,000 participants

2014

• “Forever Faithful” International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI (USA), August 11–16, Ron Whitehead, director. 40,000 participants