Saturday afternoon, club meeting. Someone in the unit won't stop talking during instruction time, and the counselor takes a deep breath. What can they do? Yell? Order ten push-ups as punishment? None of that — and it's the official manual itself, backed by Brazilian law, that forbids it. In the Pathfinder Club, discipline isn't about fear: it's about guidance. Here you'll see what a leader can do, what they can never do to you, and how the best units turn rules into agreements that everyone actually wants to keep.
What Is Positive Discipline in the Pathfinder Club?
If you're new here: the Pathfinder Club is the Adventist Church's program for girls and boys aged 10 to 15, with camping trips, honors, and plenty of group life. And wherever there's a group, there are rules. Positive discipline is the official way of handling those rules: correcting through guidance, without yelling, without physical punishment, and without exposing anyone.
The Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual — the official rulebook, published by the South American Division (DSA), currently in its 2020 edition — defines misconduct as breaking either of two kinds of rule: moral rules, which are socially built (no name-calling, no hitting), and conventional rules, set by the group itself (being on time, turning in the report by the deadline). It's like in a video game: there are server rules that apply to everyone, and guild rules that the team agreed on among themselves.
The Manual also raises a point that changes everything: misbehavior might be the way a young person found to signal that something isn't right — an emotional, family, or adjustment problem. That's why, before punishing, the leader should look at the causes the Manual itself points to: lack of authority, inadequate methodology, or rules imposed without discussion.
What Can a Leader Never Do to You?
Let's get straight to the point, because this part protects you. The Administrative Manual states, in plain words: “Any form of corporal punishment is forbidden”. Hitting, pinching, pulling an ear — none of that exists in the club. And more: no young person may be disciplined without another adult, aware of the situation, present with visual contact. This two-part rule protects the Pathfinder from abuse and protects the leader from false accusations.
The same chapter lists other safeguards: leaders should avoid being alone with a young person, Pathfinders must be supervised at all times, and no young person may be handed over to an adult other than a parent or legal guardian without express written permission. Think of the second adult as soccer's VAR: a second set of eyes that makes sure the call was fair.
If anything on this list happens to you or a friend, don't keep it to yourself. Tell your parents or guardians and the club's leadership — the Manual requires that any behavior that looks abusive be reported to the pastor or church administrator.
| The leader can | The leader can never |
|---|---|
| Correct calmly, at the right moment, and without an audience | Hit, pinch, or apply any form of physical punishment |
| Apply a warning or suspension set out in the internal rules | Order push-ups, jumping jacks, or sit-ups as punishment |
| Talk with you with another aware adult nearby | Be completely alone with a Pathfinder |
| Bring in the family to help with the correction | Yell, curse, or use nicknames that humiliate |
| Review the agreements with the unit | Expose your mistake in front of the whole club to shame you |
Summary based on the Administrative Manual (DSA, 2020, p. 45-61) and the ECA (art. 18-A and art. 232).
What Does Brazilian Law Say?
The club follows the manual, and the manual follows the law. In Brazil, the ECA — the Child and Adolescent Statute, Law 8.069 of 1990 — sets the rules. Article 232 makes it a crime to subject a child or adolescent under one's authority, custody, or supervision to humiliation or embarrassment, punishable by 6 months to 2 years of detention. In club practice, leadership training materials cite concrete examples: derogatory nicknames, mocking someone who got an activity wrong, and ordering exercises as punishment.
On June 26, 2014, the Bernardo Law (Lei Menino Bernardo, Law 13.010) added Article 18-A to the ECA: every child and adolescent has the right to be raised without corporal punishment and without cruel or degrading treatment. The rule applies to anyone responsible for caring for, educating, or protecting a child — including club directors, counselors, and instructors.
How Does the Official Disciplinary Code Work?
Each club creates its own Internal Rules — the local disciplinary code. The Manual instructs that it be reviewed with parents, who must have access to the document when enrolling, and that the Pathfinder and their guardians sign a commitment agreement. Golden rule: any punishment set out in it must align with the ECA, with biblical guidance, and with the club's own principles.
When a rule is broken, correction escalates step by step, like cards in soccer: first a conversation and family involvement, then a warning, temporary suspension, and, only as a last resort, removal — with the official guidance to suggest a transfer to another club, avoiding putting the adolescent down. No one goes straight from a mistake to a red card.
Want to check the source for all of this? The Administrative Manual can be downloaded for free — see where to find this and the other official club manuals.
Rules should be few, and well considered; and, once made, they should be enforced.Ellen White, Education, p. 290 — advice cited in the Administrative Manual
How Do You Build the Unit's Agreement Chart?
The unit — the small group the club is divided into, explained in detail in our guide to the unit system — is where positive discipline becomes practice. The Manual calls for creating “agreements” at the start of each year or semester, with the whole group taking part, and reviewing them at the start of every meeting (and whenever a rule is about to be broken).
Why does it work? The Manual itself explains: when young people take part in creating the rules, they identify with them — and following them becomes much easier. It's the difference between a rule that drops out of nowhere and one your team agreed on before the game even started.
What If It Isn't Misbehavior?
The Manual devotes an entire section (2.6) to behavioral difficulties that can be mistaken for misbehavior: ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), childhood and adolescent depression, and bullying. Labeling everything as troublemaking is not only unfair, it hides the real problem — the Manual even recommends inviting specialized professionals to give talks to leaders and families.
As for bullying, the official definition is clear: aggressive, intentional, and repeated behavior against a peer, with no obvious motive. The Manual lists seven forms — physical, verbal, moral, sexual, psychological, material, and virtual (online and via cellphone) — and warns that this isn't “bad-taste horseplay”: it's violence that needs to be confronted.
And what if the one bullying is a Pathfinder? The official guidance follows the positive-discipline approach: immediate contact with the family, a calm conversation, avoiding overly harsh punishments (which breed anger and resentment), encouraging an apology, and involving the young person in the club's service projects.
How Does the Counselor Correct Without Yelling?
The counselor — the adult who closely accompanies the unit, a role we cover in detail in our guide to unit counselors — is the one who deals with discipline the most on a day-to-day basis. The Manual's recipe starts with prevention: relevant, well-planned activities, clear and well-known goals, a cheerful, cooperative atmosphere. A full, interesting program leaves little room for chaos.
When it's time to correct, the official guidance is practical: act at the right moment, always staying calm; keep the reaction fair and balanced; show firmness through voice, posture, and eye contact — authority isn't volume. The Manual also asks leaders to pray for each Pathfinder, to encourage and respect each one's independence, and to see the young person as someone created in God's image, deserving of respect and love.
And remember the golden rule in practice: a serious disciplinary conversation only happens with a second adult who is aware and keeping visual contact. If you're a counselor, call someone from the board before correcting — it protects the Pathfinder and it protects you.