Pathfinder Camporee 2027: the events

In January, your club director may end up in a water tank in the middle of the events, and that will be a sign your club hit the target. The Pathfinder Camporee 2027 Events Manual (in Portuguese, Manual de Eventos do VI Campori DSA), published on August 14, 2026, by the South American Division (DSA) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, mixes the Bible, classes and the uniform with archery, climbing, a maze and an obstacle course, all against the clock. This guide sums up each event using the manual's own rules, shows who to pick and suggests a training plan from October to December.

📅When are the Pathfinder Camporee 2027 events in the Alpha and Omega editions?

The 6th South American Pathfinder Camporee (Campori DSA 2027) takes place at Parque do Peão, in Barretos, São Paulo state, Brazil, in two editions: Alpha (January 5 to 10, 2027) and Omega (January 12 to 17). The competitions, which the manual calls events, run from Wednesday to Friday: January 6 to 8 in Alpha and January 13 to 15 in Omega.

In each edition, each Union has a single day of events. The same Union appears in both editions, with its clubs split between Alpha and Omega, so look for your Union's abbreviation in the column for the edition your club registered for. With almost 20,000 Pathfinders a day, according to the manual, every event has a time limit: when time runs out, the club moves straight on to the next event. If your Union is scheduled for Wednesday, event day comes right after the campground opens (January 5 in Alpha, January 12 in Omega), so training has to be ready before the trip.

Participation table from the Events Manual of the 6th DSA Camporee (DSA, August 2026). For Thursday in Omega, the document prints UCOOB: the other 15 Unions from Alpha reappear in Omega and only UCOB (the West Central Brazil Union) is missing, so the abbreviation refers to it.

🏆How many events are in the Pathfinder Camporee 2027 Events Manual, and how is the trophy won?

The manual's opening page announces 7 regular events and the Desbrava Cross, eight activities in all. The pages show six blocks, P1 to P6, and the last one combines the Cross Challenge and the Doors Challenge, which counts double toward the trophy. Neither the Portuguese nor the Spanish edition says whether the Cross Challenge is the Desbrava Cross itself, and neither lists the eight activities one by one. Ask your Conference or Mission coordinators and watch for the Information Guide (Guia de Informações) expected in December.

To earn the trophy, the club takes part in at least 5 of the 8 activities, and the trophy is handed out on the celebration stage, at the event venue, right after the club's activities. Since the Doors count double, a club that does that event needs three more to reach five. Any club that enters an event gets at least the participation score. Official Bulletin 01/2026 (Boletim Oficial) says every registered club already has a trophy guaranteed; since the later Events Manual requires the minimum of five, don't fall below that.

For the overall score, the Guidelines Manual (Manual de Orientações, edition of November 5, 2025) gives 50 points to each event: the club scores in up to six (300) and the rest become bonus points, up to 150. The points entered before the trip in the Club Management System (SGC) are covered in the guide to the Pathfinder Camporee 2027 requirements.

Summary of the Events Manual of the 6th DSA Camporee (DSA, August 14, 2026). Event names translated from Portuguese, with the official name in parentheses.

🎯Always on Target: what does each class need to recite?

The first event's motto is "Once in memory, always on target". The club splits into six groups, with heats of up to 8 minutes, and in the stage called Winning Ammunition it presents six Pathfinders, one per class and of that class's age or as close to it as possible, who recite texts worth arrows.

Friend (age 10): Daniel 1:8 and Matthew 7:12, worth 3 arrows. Companion (11): the Pathfinder Pledge and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Explorer (12): the Pathfinder Law. Ranger (13): the Aim, the Motto and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10). Voyager (14): the names of the 12 apostles and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). Guide (15): the three angels' messages of Revelation 14 and the seven churches of Revelation, in order. From Companion to Guide, each class is worth 6 arrows.

Adding up the prizes, that makes up to 33 arrows, shot by archers aged 10 to 15 at six targets in the Battle of the Six Challenges; the score follows the number of hits within the time limit. The event provides the bows and arrows, and every arrow has a suction cup. In the last challenge, the manual says, the club's hits can help the director face the Barretos heat, and the illustration shows someone falling into a water tank.

Hand out the texts by class this week and run a quick-fire review at every meeting. The Companion passage fits the spirit of the event well. 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV) reads: "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." For the Pledge, Law and Aim, use the method in how to memorize the Pathfinder Pledge, Law and Aim.

🧗How do the climbing wall and the Maze of the Classes work?

Always Heading Higher sends seven people to the climbing walls: one representative of each regular class, from Friend (age 10) to Guide (15), plus one club leader over 16. After the briefing and once the safety gear is on, everyone climbs at the sound signal. The limit is 4 minutes, and the club scores if it gets at least 5 of the 7 to the top. Pick climbers with strong arms and a cool head.

In the Maze of the Classes ("Not all is lost"), three Pathfinders go in at the same time through three entrances of a crawling maze that has a single exit. In 5 minutes they collect six spheres, one per class, and the top score requires at least five at the end.

If spheres are missing, the recovery round is a giant slingshot: the spheres must hit, in the right order, the six slots of the uniform pocket, which stand for the progression of the classes. Each hit wins back part of the points. Drill the order until it comes without thinking, from Friend to Guide, and set up a maze of low ropes in the churchyard to practice crawling.

🛡️What do the Armor event and the classes event test?

Always Wearing the Armor, subtitled "The protection that comes from Heaven", tests the RUD, the Uniform Regulations, within 12 minutes. One Pathfinder puts on a harness and is lifted by a crane while teammates spin a wheel that draws an insignia from the official uniform. Up in the air, the Pathfinder takes that piece off the wall on the left and attaches it to the velcro of an empty uniform on the right, steered with ropes by the other 11.

Next, the club gathers around a water tank: the director, wearing safety goggles on a platform, holds a container that the kids fill using water blasters, and when the water reaches the mark, the director drops into the tank. To practice, stick the insignia on a paper uniform and check each position against the current Uniform Regulations (RUD).

The fifth event, Always Awaiting the Return of the Faithful and True (a phrase from Revelation 19:11), tests the classes in 12 minutes. Two Pathfinders spin a wheel that shows which class station to go to and answer a question; if they don't know the answer, the wheel spins again and another pair steps in. Then the group waits for the others on a platform and, once the crossing is done, launches a rocket that it has to retrieve to earn the rope kit.

In the final stage, with six boxes, two Pathfinders from each class tie a knot blindfolded, and the director rings a bell when everyone is done. The knots are drawn from the square knot, bowline, fisherman's knot, overhand knot and figure eight; practice all five blindfolded with the guide to essential knots and lashings for Pathfinders.

🚪Cross Challenge and Doors Challenge: who goes and what should you practice?

Always Overcoming Challenges (Sempre Superando Desafios) has two parts of 10 minutes each. The Cross Challenge is a course with five obstacles: a crossing on plywood boards, a rope crawl, a balance beam, a cooperative bridge and a tire carry. Clubs with up to 59 registered participants send 18 people, clubs with 60 to 90 send 36, and clubs above 90 send 56, in three categories: ages 10 to 12, 13 to 15, and 16 and older. The Portuguese edition only says "up to 59"; the Spanish edition of the same manual makes clear that the bracket counts the club's registered participants. If you're unsure who counts toward that number, check with the coordinators.

In the Doors Challenge, scored on execution, teamwork and completion, each team picks a door in order of arrival. Door 1: a bamboo horse built with lashings, used to carry a team member for 30 meters. Door 2: the correct uniform on a mannequin, as a relay. Door 3: knots tied in sequence, finishing with a bowline. Door 4: essential camping items packed into a backpack. Door 5: simulated first aid and safe transport of the victim. Door 6: raising flags according to protocol.

Because the choice of door follows arrival order, train all six; this event counts double for the trophy. The manual, in both languages, does not say how many members make up the Doors team. For door 6, review flag etiquette in Pathfinder ceremonies. For door 5, bring in a health professional from the club or the church.

🗓️How do you train your Unit for the camporee events before January?

From October 6 to the first Wednesday of events there are about 13 weeks, minus holidays and the year-end break. Train in blocks of 15 to 20 minutes inside the regular meeting.

Start with the lineup: a spreadsheet with the six reciters, the seven climbers, the three maze crawlers, the twelve blindfolded knot tiers and the Cross team. Anyone who shows up on many rows needs a trained backup. Once a month, run a timed mock event with an outside judge, including the quick changeover from one event to the next.

Look after everyone's health: the Guidelines Manual expects 30 to 40 degrees Celsius (86 to 104°F) in Barretos in January, with heavy rain showers, and the guide to health at the Pathfinder Camporee 2027 explains how to handle the heat.

🤝What is the spirit behind the events?

The Camporee Philosophy, in the Guidelines Manual, lists "Less competition, more cooperation" among its ten principles, along with the line highlighted below, the one that speaks directly about the events.

The events follow that path: in the Armor event, eleven teammates use ropes to guide the one in the air, and in archery the arrows earned by the reciters supply the group's archers. Celebrate your teammates' hits with the Unit and welcome anyone who misses.

Activities and events should leave a mark on the Pathfinder's life with creativity and relevance.Guidelines Manual of the 6th DSA Camporee, Camporee Philosophy, 2025 (translated from Portuguese)