1st Pathfinder Camporee! by Dixie Plata – Pathfinder Historian
Did you ever wonder where the very first Pathfinder Camporee was held?
I love the stories of Pathfinder’s and how it all began. It is fun to explore and learn something that was not well known before. Books that have been published about Youth and Pathfinder work have included errors, statements that we have found to be untrue, not because one wanted to deceive but because proper research was not done and assumptions were made that have later proved to be incorrect.
In several book we read that the first Pathfinder Camporee of record was held in Southeastern California in the Pacific Union, where Pathfindering began. A number of years ago as I was speaking in the Southern New England Conference at Camp Winnekeag, Ashburnham, Massachusetts for the SNEC Pathfinder Leadership I gave the date of the first known Pathfinder Camporee as May 7-9 1954, at the JMV Pathfinder Camp at Idyllwild, California. After the seminar was completed a Pastor and Pathfinder individual, Arthur Schumacher, came up to me and told me of a Camporee that had taken place at the very site of the meetings, Camp Winnekeag, before that date! I got excited and asked him if he could find proof so that we could change the record!
Shortly after Art and Nan sent information from the Atlantic Union Gleaner and the Junior Guide (Guide) Magazine with photos and evidence concerning what we now know as the very first Pathfinder Camporee ever.
When talking with good friends and leaders of the Pacific Union and sharing this information they were baffled at how this could be as they felt that, through prayer, God had given them the name for campouts as “Camporee” instead of the Boy Scout term Jamboree.
Pastor Art Schumacher and his wife, the former Nancylee Alger have worked in Pathfinder’s starting clubs in churches they were pastoring, if nonexistent, and helped in clubs that were already active. Art and Nan were among the volunteers that have helped my husband, Arnold and me, at the Pathfinder Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the International Pathfinder Camporees. Nan contacted me to see if we could surprise Art by doing a display of that very first Pathfinder Camporee. She was able to secure materials from one of the “boys” in the club, Robert L. Roy, whose dad Leo W. Roy was the founder and director of the Nes-Pak Pathfinder Club at the New England Sanitarium Church, Stoneham, Massachusetts.
It was a delight to read the information that was shared and to see the dates that the name change was made. The September 1953 newsletter by the Southern New England Conference with W. E. Burns, as MV Secretary (Director) spoke of the upcoming Pathfinder Jamboree to be held October 9-11 at Camp Winnekeag. The October 2, 1953 letter to the Pathfinder Leaders stated. “First a terminology change! We will use the term “CAMPOREE” instead of the term Jamboree. From now on this will be the official term used for the particular type of Pathfinder activity we shall have at Camp Winnekeag October 9-11. So, CAMPOREE it is! Let’s use this term freely so that all will learn it.”
The Pacific Union leaders really did coin the phrase under inspiration of the Lord. They shared this name and the Adventist “grapevine” had spread it quickly throughout the North American Division and Southern New England Conference did hold the very first Pathfinder CAMPOREE.
The Camporee, which began on Friday afternoon October 9th at 3:00 PM and ended after a weekend of activities on Sunday October 11th after 2:00 PM, was a grand success. Art’s unit was called Apache and what fun the boys had with tent pitching, fire building, hiking, and swimming activities. The campfire programs were very special as well as the church services on Sabbath morning followed by lunch, which was prepared by units as were all the weekend meals. There were girls also who enjoyed the fellowship of the outdoor campout. Camporee demonstrations were held, the Haystack Club demonstrated cooking a complete meal in aluminum foil, Nashaway Club demonstrated the use of a homemade reflector oven, the Tantaquigeon Club demonstrated proper use of an ax, making tent stakes, and constructing an envelope bed. The Nes-Pak Club girls demonstrated a “Hobo” stove, cooking an egg in a hole in a piece of bread on their stove; also cooking gingerbread and demonstrated a “swing stove” using it to toast marshmallows. The Nes-Pak Boys demonstrated several ways of estimating distance, and height of trees. There were points awarded for the weekend including: equipment, uniforms, number of members’ present, cooperation/discipline, and cooking – the Nes-Pak Club received full points.
How thankful we are for the dedicated leaders that were there in the beginning and continue to minister to God’s youth. Look for these stories in the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum when it is built in Battle Creek, MI. Help make this possible by your support.
