THE PATH FINDER
January  2012
Publication of the Maritime Conference of the SDA Pathfinders      

The new year has begun and it is time to make resolutions. What do you want to do for your Pathfinder group this year? Plan ahead and you will have a successful club.
Thank you for all your efforts in the past year and all the successes that you accomplished. It is so good to see each of you getting involved with the young people of your church and community. May God bless you in your endeavors for the coming year.

Story Time
The Dust of the Earth

Pictures of weird and awesome beauty have made Sahara Desert scenes famous as wastes of wind-rippled sand. But not so are American deserts, or even all deserts anywhere. To visit a desert, you may recall, was the Lord Jesus' one recommendation for a vacation. A desert, then, must be something more than a dead waste; it must be a place that revitalizes, revivifies, refreshes. On the vacation trip aforementioned the disciples found all these requisites in the desert because they had the Master of the desert with them. He had made a previous trip into the desert alone-no, not alone. He found three classes of companionship: "The Adversary," the wild beasts, and the good angels. He emerged from the desert Master of all three: He had vanquished Satan; He could, and did, vanquish the wild beasts when demon-crazed men played their part; and the good angels were His loving servitors.
So when His excited, overwrought disciples needed a new mastery of the calmness of life, He led them to the desert. But He led them not to sandy vacuity, but to opportunity for companionship and service, to a ceaseless supply of the necessities of life, and to the mastery of all powers of passion external or internal by the effect of the presence of the Master Himself.
So for a variety of spiritual experiences let me recommend our Southwestern deserts. Death, and dread, and the devil stalk the waterless wilderness, haunt the pleasure-mad resorts to be found even in the desert, and dog down the unwary, the unfitted, or the uncomprehending. But go out to the desert with anointed eyes and find God there.
We are not so much consious of the earth back East as of the products of the earth. The dust of the earth takes organic form in lush vegetation, and earth's anatomy is draped. But in the desert the dust of the earth is dust. It flies in the air, diffusing the sunlight into colors undreamed of elsewhere. It piles up into mountains beyond words awesome. It crystallizes into gems and ore a lifetime cannot catalogue. It organizes into bird and beast and plant unduplicated otherwhere. The desert's most typical bird runs instead of flying. Its quaintest animal insists on an exchange of property. Its piercing plants blossom into the orchids' rivals. The power of God to bring good out of evil, beauty out of desolation, blessing out of trial, replenishes the reverent heart in the desert.
But the dust of the earth takes highest form in the desert, as elsewhere, in God's crowning act of creation-human beings in His likeness. Take Christian friends with you to the desert; your joy in multiplied. My friends and I found David, a totally deaf craftsman, fashioning desert woods into satin artistry. His face shown when we wrote of God on his memo pad; and he wrote back: 'Deafness is bad, but it could be worse, and it will make us enjoy the sounds of heaven all the more."

WHERE ARE THEY

It has always been with reluctance that I have said much about my childhood. Partly because I do not want to hurt or offend anyone. For the things that were done or not done there are always reasons.
I was baptized at eleven and I still remember it as being such a glorious feeling. Did the people of the Church then think I had Jesus in me and there was nothing else that needed to be done? I was overactive, a perfectionist (if I couldn't be first I didn't try). By thirteen I was lost to the Church. My grandparents who raised me were getting very old, and now as I am getting close to their ages at that time, I realize what they were going through. However, I have a lot more energy then they seemed to possess or maybe a great desire to try and provide a tangable part in the Church that our young people can call their own. That they will come to know God personnely through the study of His word and His second book, nature. As I explore nature I can not but marvel at the intricate beauty, the complexity of it all and say..."O Lord, my Lord, how wonderful is all the works Thy hands have created."
In the Church of my youth there was one Pathfinder Club started that lasted two weeks. The leader said that we were to uncontrolable.  I have learned from that and over the years have had some clubs that certainly would have been called uncontrolable. We had fun, they learned to respect my authority but still kept their youthfulness. We can not quelch childern's enthusiasm just channel it in the right direction.
What I admire in certain children is that if they make a mistake they will pull up thier socks and try again. I have heard things said like, "what is that kid doing making a fool of God". Children will laugh, giggle, forget their lines etc. when they are nervous. That is when you encourage them. I have seen so many of our Pathfinders who were so shy and now are our teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads who have become leaders in our Churches. Just because they were encouraged to try again, and again, and again.
There are young people that I have unknowingly neglected in my thirty years of Pathfindering. I can not reach them all. As it is with adults we do not always click with everyone we meet. That is why raising children is a community project, the Sabbath School, the Church, where our young people can be involved, the Church School and the extra childrens programs such as Eager Beavers, Adventurers, Pathfinders, Teen Leadership or as simple as a Sabbath afternoon nature club.
If we are not providing for our children who is?  If I had established a friendship with an older Church member when I was very young would it have made a difference? What about all the others that have not come back, what difference would it have made in their lives.
We can not erase the past but maybe we can correct it by reaching out to the children of the children we missed.
I came back because I wanted what I knew deep down. Only Christ could supply for my children through a loving patient Church.

Winter Camping

There are a few more tidbits I would like to add to the last article on winter camping. I would highly recommend not taking anyone who does not enjoy the winter, who does not venture from the house to build a snow fort or go sledding or outdoor skating. It is not an activity for the timid.
When I was a child, winters were to be enjoyed with the above mentioned activities. There was not many opportunities missed to enjoy fun in the snow.
A person who survives on coco puffs and white bread is not a good candidate. Winter camping requires eating high sustaining energy food such as rolled oats, grain bread etc.  not empty caloric foods. Spend time doing day trips, starting fires, building shelters, cooking and eating hardy foods. Take only those who have learned to listen and obey.

Winter Fair Schedule

The winter fair will start officially after dinner. I would encourage the leaders to correspond with each other in providing for Sabbath School Classes. Please be in uniform. For Church services do the scripture reading, special music, offering collection and whatever else you feel is appropriate.
I am not giving specific times of day for most events. After dinner we will work on an honor for one hour. We will then change into outdoor clothing to go on a hike etc.  When we return we will have the Bible Bowl, then supper. If there is time before supper we will work on the honor again. At sundown we will have a worship time. Please bring skits, music, stories, games etc. for this.
For the evening we will have a new games time, then retire around nine P.M.
Breakfast will be at eight A.M. followed by setting up your displays then club demonstration time. This will consist of clubs demonstrating activities they have been working on such as knots, drill etc. If there is time we will work more on the honor. 

News from the Clubs

Maritime Pathfinder staff:  9    Pathfinders: 25
Fredericton:  Spending a lot of time on bookwork.  The Patfinders are rapidly working through most of the requirements for their levels.  Plans for winter include focusing on arts/crafts honors. If the weather cooperates we will have a winter fun day in February. We are also trying to coordinate a special archery class outside of our regular meeting time.

Zealand:  Honors completed:  Internet, Cake Decorating
Special event in December:  Annual Bake Sale then the Norcard Fundraiser in Oct/Nov

St. George:  Honors completed or working on:  Basic First Aid
Special event in December: We participated in the St. George SDA Church Christmas program.
I am happy to say that we have had a couple of our Pathfinders from last year rejoin the club.

Tantallon:  Honors completed or working on:  Livestock, Insects, Camping 1 and 2, Campcraft.
Special event in December:  Christmas party