Traveling Museum Displays by Dixie Plata – Youth Ministries Historian
I wondered how many miles we have traveled since 1982 with displays sharing the history of Youth Ministry – including Seventh-day Adventist History, Adventurers, Ambassadors, Master Guides, Pathfinders, TLT’s and Young Adults? I asked my husband, Arnold, and his answer was “a lot!” I do know we have worn out three vehicles in the process as well as blown numerous tires on the pickup or trailer. We have had windows broken due to rocks thrown by vehicles and other damage but God is good and we are currently adding new brakes to our 2006 pickup so we can continue to travel.
In 2016 we traveled more than 20,000 miles to share seminars and displays. What a delight to meet young people and their leaders that have a passion for the Lord. 2017 is looking just as busy and we pray for safety as we drive to share with youth in the North American Division.
It is a pleasure to show God’s leading through the displays, how and where it all began, and the individuals that committed their talents and time for youth ministry. It is especially exciting to meet the young people that are blessed to be an active part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is a real pleasure to visit with former youth that have taken up the mantel of leadership in their various clubs, churches and communities.
Items shared with us over the past thirty-five years, from world and conference Pathfinder Directors, are becoming fragile from all the travel and are in need of a permanent home. Many one of a kind items need a protected area for display and because of this need, the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum Board voted to raise funds that a museum building can be built as a permanent home for the collection. Terry Dodge has been asked to head up this building project.
Traveling displays (4-34 cases along with banners and mannequins) will continue to be an on going part of the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum. The AYM Museum building will house the extensive collection in a safe and attractive manner. The AYM Museum building will also provide a place to repair and replace traveling displays. Often as we travel we are given items, an older scarf and sash, a book or magazine. Example – at the April Nevada/Utah Conference Leadership Convention we were presented with the Conference Camporee patch and pin. Also a staff member gave us a Master Guide scarf and slide from his home country of Peru. We always enjoy adding to the displays and sharing them in our travels to help inspire youth for Jesus.
You may be surprise to learn that Arnold and Dixie Plata through the traveling museum displays has helped to start museums in the following Divisions: South America, Inter-America Divisions, and the Korea Union Conference. We are currently working with the Southern-Asia Division to get a display started there. As we share with other Youth Ministry Departments in various Divisions they in turn share with us. This enables the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum displays to be a worldwide display of how God has lead. Our dream is to have at least one traveling display in each Division.
This year we have had the opportunity to share displays in five NAD Union Camporees:
Atlantic Union Pathfinder Camporee was held in Rhode Island in May. Terry and Maxine Dodge, Arnold and I were blessed to have former Columbia Union Youth Director Ron Stretter join us on Sabbath. There was 3,500 in attendance and many of them came to the museum display.- Lake Union Pathfinder Camporee was held in September at the Berrien County Fairgrounds in Berrien Springs, MI with 2,600 in attendance. The Dodge’s and the Plata’s were able to enjoy the camporee and provide a large display for the attendees.
- Columbia Union Pathfinder Camporee was held in early October in Pennsylvania with a smaller display because of the space allotted. Terry and Maxine Dodge helped us with set up and visited with those who came to the museum out of the 3,500 attendees to the camporee. Maxine ran the “store”. We also received some donations of memorabilia and the stories that went with them.
- Southern Union Pathfinder Camporee was held in October at Camp Kulaqua in Florida at the same time (which was a FIRST) as the Southwestern Union Pathfinder Camporee was held at Lake Whitney Ranch in Texas. The number of traveling display cases were divided so Terry and Maxine Dodge could take them to Southern for their camporee. Grant McPherson – a traveling museum representative was able to help with the Southern Union Camporee. They had 5,500 in attendance.
Southwestern Union Pathfinder Camporee was held at Lake Whitney Ranch in Texas. Arnold and Dixie took the other half of the traveling display cases and presented a nice arrangement of display cases in a tent that was provided at the camporee. We appreciated the help of Donny and Penny Gore along with Pastor Dennis and LeAnn Austin and their son, Caleb along with his friend Allan Quear. The young men shared stories and even composed a song and sang it to those who came to see the traveling displays.
Telling stories and continuing to educate leaders to share with their youth our precious history of God’s leading is the mission of the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum and the traveling museum displays.
God is good and though it is great to travel and share we can hardly wait until the time of the first Heavenly Camporee with our Master Guide Jesus Christ.
