When I was a young child I would have said that my favorite slide was the one that went around and around as you slid down. It was located in the Colville, Washington City Park, which at the time was very close to the Seventh-day Adventist Church School and very close to the Church. Since the church did not boast a fellowship room of any kind, on lovely summer and fall days church members often had a potluck in the park under the huge fir trees and the slides and swings were a great draw for the younger ones. There was also a very tall, long slide that went really fast that the older children enjoyed but to me, between the ages of 2 and 6 it was a bit scary. Years later my children and even my eldest granddaughter enjoyed the slides.
But actually the slide that I was thinking about writing about is my first slide that I received at Buena Vista Elementary School near Auburn Academy, Auburn, Washington. It was the Busy Bee slide that I received after completing all the requirements for 1st graders. The Investiture was held in the chapel of Auburn Academy, I remember it well as for as one part of the program all the 1st graders had little bird whistles that would hold a bit of water and when you blew gently on them a lovely bird sound was heard. We had practiced a lot and refilled our whistles several times for the program. The song was “Listen to the Song Birds Sing”, which was found in the Missionary Volunteer Songs – songbook (formerly called the Junior Songbook) that was published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Takoma Park, Maryland. Unfortunately I cannot find a date, just the wording Printed in the U. S. A. It does say the book was “For Senior and Junior Missionary volunteer Societies, Church Schools, Junior Division of Sabbath Schools, Summer Training Camps for Juniors, other Gatherings of Young People, and the Home”. Anyway the words and music were written by Rev. A. H. Ackley and copyrighted in 1917 by B. D. and A. H. Ackley. We sang the words of the stanza together:
Buse Bee Scarf
“ If you walk in the vale of sorrow, do not droop like the fading flow’r, God still lives and His arms are about you, Here the birds in the vine-covered bow’r”. and the chorus was “Listen to the song birds sing,… then there were notes where a person could whistle but instead we used our bird whistles. “Messages of joy they bring” and more whistling, “in your gloom and sadness, Catch their note of gladness, Listen to the song birds sing.” There were four verses but the first one is the one I remember most because when it was time to whistle the water in my whistle was all gone and it would not whistle. I was so sad and felt miserable. I am sure no one even noticed as there was quite a group of us but nevertheless as a seven year old I was devastated. Happiness was restored though a bit later in the program when I received my scarf and slide for completing Busy Bee. The slide was a white chicken ring. Imagine that – no fancy colors or emblems but still to me at that age it meant a lot.
Later when I told my mom about my empty whistle she shared with me the story of the 10 virgins from the Bible and how important it was to be ready when Jesus Comes, I seemed to be able to relate to that as I had prepared but then my whistle was empty. By the way I still have that blue plastic whistle!
I was reading, I love to read, the other day a book that Arthur W. Spalding wrote that was published in 1930 Camping with the J. M. V.s by Pacific Press Publishing Association. In the book, p. 55 and I quote: “…shirt, all straight; neckerchief knotted neatly, sitting pretty…” So originally the scarf was neatly knotted, no chicken ring as of yet.
My friend and Historian Ministry Coordinator for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, Ted Burgdorff sent me a paper he had researched which included the following. “Forty-eight young people, including two juniors from the church school, their teacher, Cecil Barr, and two academy teachers, Miss Beck and Mr. Nelson were invested as Friends. They all received Friend pins, but several did not secure the blue Friend neckerchief, since they were invested a few minutes later with the red neckerchief of Companion rank. Thirty-seven young people were invested as Companions. Elder Christian placed the folded (remember that was when all the scarves were square) red neckerchiefs about the shoulders of each candidate, Professor Anunsen slipped the slide fasteners on, and the writer, as Conference M. V. secretary fastened on the pins…” Central Union Reaper, May 18, 1937 p.8 “
I know that by 1950 a rectangular white slide with MV imprinted on the front was used for Master Guides and the white chicken rings were still used for the other classes. Because of the cost of the colored scarves, blue for Friend, red for Companion, Green for Explorer, and needing a new one each year research was given to using a single colored scarf and finding some different way to represent with colored slides the different classes.
We do have in our display a Master Guide slide, white with Master Guide emblem on the top, followed by a yellow stripe for Guide, a red stripe for Companion and a blue stripe for Friend. This was only worn if you had completed all the above classes. A special white slide with only the Master Guide logo was produced for those not having completed other class levels.
5 Pathfinder slides
It was not until May 16,1961 that it was voted “ That we use the gold neckerchief for all JMV Classes and that a banded plastic neckerchief loop 1 ½” and 7/8” in diameter be used to distinguish the various classes. This I found in the MV Minutes while researching at the General Conference Archives. Later that same year, September 13, the MV minutes recorded that a new Master Guide Neckerchief slide approved. It had the Master Guide logo on top of the white slide then the yellow stripe for Guide, green stripe for Explorer, red stripe for Companion and blue stripe for Friend making a complete slide. Of course you did not wear this unless you had earned all the classes, a Master Guide without the other classes wore the white slide with Master Guide logo.
All this information may not be very interesting to you if you are not a “dyed in the wool” Pathfinder or a researcher of Missionary Volunteer/Pathfinder History. Yet I feel that it is important that we know our history.
By 1962 the white chicken ring of the past was in the past and was replaced with the blue, red, green and yellow slides to represent the level of achievement. The slides had either JMV for the younger group, 5th – 7th graders or MV for the older aged youth and adults that finished the various classes even though they were older. How special it was to turn in your blue Friend slide when you were invested in the next level and receive your red Companion slide in its place. Receiving the green Explorer slide would be next and well worth working for… besides of the fun with peers the youth were learning valuable life lessons.
Changes are inevitable, and with progress changes come along every so often. In 1966 the Pioneer class level was added for 8th graders and a corresponding slide and pin was produced in black for this level. In 1970, for political reasons, the name Pioneer was changed to Ranger, in the North American Division, and the pin was produced in white. The Master Guide slide also showed this change with the addition of the Ranger stripe on the white Master Guide slide, though it was in silver as white would not show up on white.
In 1979 the MV (Missionary Volunteer) name was changed to AY (Adventist Youth) and the JMV (Junior Missionary Volunteer) name was changed to AJY (Adventist Junior Youth). A change was also made in the slides that were worn. It had been found through the years that often the plastic slides were broken when packed for travel, etc. Replacing slides so often was not practicable so another solution was researched.
A metal slide with the Master Guide logo was produced for those that had completed the Master Guide curriculum. A metal slide with the Pathfinder logo engraved was made for everyone else. This slide was 7/8 inches in diameter (2 centimeters) and was often lost as the scarves were smaller (the scarf was originally a square so when folded it was bulkier and the slide stayed on better) Some people knotted the scarf at the end of the slide to keep them from sliding off.
It seems a better solution was to have a slide that was a bit smaller so when slides were re-ordered they were made ¾ inches in diameter (1.8 centimeters) which was a real help as the slides were not sliding off the scarf and being lost nearly as often. For financial reasons the engraved slide were also a thing of the past and the slide were printed with the logo. That could be a problem as the printed logo was apt to wear off. Some areas of the World Church made a metal slide where the logo was a separate piece of metal and adhered. It looked very nice but was pretty heavy so could easily slip off.
I know some individuals that really liked those metal slides and still wear them. I liked my metal slide also but changing with the times is what I like to do. So when the cloth slide was produced my slide went into the display case and the cloth slide went on my scarf. Originally the cloth slide had green edging around the MV as the uniforms consisted of green skirt/pants. When the North American Division went to black pants and skirts (because of availability) the slide echoed this change for the NAD and had black edging as did all the emblems that were worn on a Pathfinder/Master Guide uniform.
A display of unique Pathfinder slides made from bamboo, leather, wood, and bone, reflecting diverse traditions.
In many places the slide that is worn on the Dress Uniform is the official one required by the Division or Conference. In some areas around the world the scarf is worn whenever Pathfinder Ministry happens. The scarf is worn over the Pathfinder Field uniform t-shirts and identifies that the young people doing community service or other activities are part of the Pathfinder Ministry. The scarf is proudly worn. When the scarf is worn with the field shirt the club or unit may wear a slide of their own choosing. Some of these slides are made of bamboo, others of leather, or other types of wood. We have quite a display of slides that have been given to us including my favorite one made of a bone.
Arnold and I were doing a display in Brazil at a Pathfinder Camporee when a young man walked into the display wearing this bone slide. I smiled, pointed at his slide and said “I like, very nice”, of course he did not understand my English or I his Portuguese but he knew I was talking about his slide and he proceed to take it off to give it to me. I said “no, it is yours.” But he really seemed to want me to have this slide. I called Arnold over and he interrupted for me this story. The young man was walking along a path beside a stream to work and one day saw a dead calf that had been killed and was being eaten by scavengers. Each day there was less of the calf until there were only bones. About a year later as he walked along he thought about making something from a sun-bleached bone and took some home. He created a slide from a vertebra and glued a Pathfinder Triangle pin on the bone. He wanted to be sure that Arnold told me he had covered it over with finger nail polish so it was safe. He didn’t know I had grown up on a farm and it was pretty safe to me even without the polish! There are some wood carved slides in our display and some slides made with seeds all very interesting.
What will be the slide of the future? It is difficult to know but changes will happen I am sure. Whatever the change the slide represents growth, ones walk with Jesus as they study and learn the numerous requirements of the various classes. It identifies them with their group and club Ministry and reminds them that they are a Servant of God and a Friend of Man
