It's always the same scene. Saturday afternoon, a table at the church entrance, a stack of printed forms, and a line of parents with pen in hand. Someone asks: "what exactly do I need to bring?". And the club secretary, who still has to type all of this into the system, takes a deep breath.
The problem is that when a family searches "Pathfinder registration form" online, what shows up are loose forms from ten years ago, hosted on file-sharing sites, with nobody's stamp on them. Some ask for data the club shouldn't even collect today without explaining why.
This guide brings together both views — the parent who signs and the secretary who files. You'll see what the Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual requires on the form, which documents get attached, how the form becomes a record in the SGC and then turns into annual insurance, and what the LGPD requires before the club publishes your child's photo.
What must the enrollment form include, according to the manual?
Yes, there is an official template, and it isn't on some random download site: it's in the Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual itself, published by the South American Division (the Adventist Church's headquarters for South America, abbreviated DSA). In the forms and attachments section, Form A – Registration Card is on page 210, and Form B – Health Form is on page 212. One detail that trips people up when they open the PDF: page 211 has a second registration card, the Staff one — for the counselor, instructor, chaplain, secretary, and director, not the Pathfinder. The minor's form is the one on page 210.
Section 3.4.2 of the manual explains who handles this: the club secretary is responsible for registering all members and keeping their data updated. Registration is done through a custom form, following Form A, and a copy of every form stays in the club's folder. And there's a line many people forget: even when registration is digital, the manual requires a physical copy at the secretary's office.
Besides personal, school, and club information, the manual requires adding a health form for each Pathfinder, to know whether anyone has a chronic illness, an allergy, or takes medication. If the medication is taken during meeting hours, that must appear on the form, and a copy of the medical prescription gets attached. Where all of this ends up living afterward is explained in the club secretary's office guide.
| Form section | Fields on Form A (p. 210) | What it's for in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Identification | Name, date of birth, place of birth | Sets the Pathfinder's age, class, and unit |
| Where to find them | Address, neighborhood/city, state, phone, email | Emergency contact, counselor visits, club notices |
| Family | Father's name, mother's name | Identifies who is legally responsible for the minor |
| School | School, grade, shift | Helps schedule activities and understand the youth's routine |
| Health (summary) | Blood type, allergies, chronic illnesses, and medication | Immediate first aid; details go on Form B |
| History | Regular and advanced investitures, honor codes | Credits what the Pathfinder already earned at another club or in another year |
| Commitments | Pathfinder's signature (pledge text) and parent's or guardian's signature | The child accepts the rules; the guardian confirms the data and supports the club |
Notice what the official form does not have: there's no field for CPF, for RG, for family income, or for a photo of the Pathfinder. Copies of documents do exist, but they go in as a folder attachment, with a defined purpose — and that's what the next section covers.
Which fields are mandatory, which are optional, and which the club shouldn't ask for?
This is the part almost no old form takes into account. Since 2020, data collection in Brazil has followed the LGPD (General Data Protection Law, Law 13.709/2018). Two articles govern the matter: art. 6, III, the necessity principle — only the minimum needed for the purpose may be collected — and art. 5, II, which defines sensitive personal data: racial or ethnic origin, religious belief, political opinion, union or religious-organization membership, data about health or sex life, genetic or biometric data.
Sensitive data isn't prohibited: it can only be processed under the scenarios in art. 11 of the LGPD. The club's health form, for example, relies on item "e" of art. 11, II — protection of life or physical safety. In other words: the club asks about allergies because one day that could save a life at camp, not out of curiosity.
| Field | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full name and date of birth | Mandatory | Form A; without it there's no class, unit, or system record |
| Guardian's address, phone, and email | Mandatory | Form A; immediate emergency contact and member access to the system |
| Father's and mother's name + guardian's signature | Mandatory | Form A; identifies who is responsible for the minor and validates the enrollment |
| Blood type and RH factor, vaccination, illnesses, allergies, and 2 emergency contacts | Mandatory, on its own form | Form B (p. 212). Note: medication is not a field on Form B — it appears on Form A ("Chronic illnesses/Medication") and on the attached prescription (section 3.4.2). Sensitive health data, covered by art. 11, II, "e" of the LGPD |
| School, grade, and shift | Included in the official template | Form A; helps the club understand the youth's routine |
| Investitures and honors already earned | Optional (history) | Form A; useful when transferring between clubs, but doesn't block enrollment |
| Photo of the Pathfinder | Optional — only with written, specific, and highlighted authorization | LGPD art. 14, § 1 and art. 8, §§ 1 and 4; see the section on images |
| Church or congregation attended | Sensitive: ask only if there's a clear, informed use for it | Religious belief is sensitive data (art. 5, II). Being Adventist isn't a requirement to join the club |
| Race/color, family income, parents' religion, biometrics, minor's social media | Don't ask without a legal basis and a written purpose | Not on the official form and they violate the necessity principle (art. 6, III) |
| Copy of RG, CPF, and birth certificate | As an attachment, not as a field | The Manual requires these documents in the insurance claim list (birth certificate or RG of the insured; CPF and RG of the guardians). Keeping the copy already at enrollment is guidance from the official website, not the Manual — keep it with a stated purpose |
A practical warning for anyone putting together a new form: copying a 2014 template found online tends to bring along fields nobody uses anymore and leave out what's indispensable today, like the consent block. It's better to start from Form A and add only what your Field (the Conference or Mission that oversees the clubs in the region) requires.
What documents go along with the form?
The filled-out form is just the first page. The official Pathfinders website, on its tips-for-directors page, lists the important enrollment documents: registration card, medical form, special reports (if any), club bylaws, copies of the member's and guardians' documents, proof of address, and the outing authorization form. The same page states that the medical form is valid for 12 months and must be confirmed every year, preferably when activities restart — even if nothing changed in the Pathfinder's health. It's worth noting where each rule comes from: that 12-month validity is operational guidance from the official website and the SGC; it isn't written in the Administrative Manual, which covers the health form without setting a time limit.
| Document | What it's for | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Registration card (Form A) | Basis of the member's record; the Manual requires it in the insurance claim paperwork | At enrollment, with an annual data review |
| Health form (Form B) | Blood type, vaccines, illnesses, allergies, and two emergency contacts | Valid for 12 months |
| Reports and medical prescription | If the Pathfinder takes medication during meeting hours, that information goes on the form and a copy of the prescription is attached (section 3.4.2) | Whenever treatment changes |
| Club bylaws or rules | The Manual advises handing the rules to parents and explaining them at the parents' meeting | Once, updated whenever the club changes its rules |
| Copy of the member's and guardians' documents | Insurance claim process: the Manual requires the insured's birth certificate or RG, plus the guardians' CPF and RG. Keeping the copy already at enrollment is guidance from the official website | Once, updated when it expires |
| Proof of address | Part of the member's folder at the secretary's office | Once a year is enough at most clubs |
| Outing authorization (Annex F, p. 225) | Mandatory whenever the activity leaves the urban perimeter, uses intercity roads, or includes an overnight stay | For every activity that qualifies |
On the outing authorization, the Manual is categorical (section 4.6, p. 145): without it in writing, the Pathfinder doesn't take part. And if the event is outside the home state, the text calls for the guardian's notarized signature and judicial authorization — the manual uses the old term "Juvenile Court"; today the right venue is the local Children and Youth Court. It's worth confirming the current procedure with the club secretary's office and the Field before any big trip. This care is part of the same child protection package that governs club life.
A question parents often have: the form itself does not need a notarized signature. Signature notarization applies to the interstate-travel rule, not to enrollment.
Paper form, SGC registration, and annual insurance: how does one lead to the other?
This is the part almost nobody explains to the family — and that every secretary learns the hard way. A form signed in February doesn't protect anyone on its own. It's the start of a three-link chain.
| Step | What happens | Who does it | If it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Signed form | Form A + health form + documents, with the guardian's signature | The family, on enrollment day | Without a signature, there's no authorization for anything |
| 2. SGC registration | The data becomes a record in the Club Management System, online since January 26, 2015, and the member is marked active | Club secretary | A member outside the system is invisible to the Field |
| 3. Annual insurance | Only regular, active members with up-to-date registration are covered | Club leadership, within the Field's deadline | An accident with no coverage |
| 4. Physical folder | Copy of the form kept at the secretary's office, in the member's individual folder | Secretary | In a claim, the Manual requires the registration card among the documents |
The Manual notes that, in 2010, the South American Division and the Pathfinder Ministry determined that insurance stops being optional and becomes mandatory. Coverage runs for one year, enrollment is done online, and the text itself warns: the club must get the deadline for registering members in the system from the Field. In other words, the deadline for registering members isn't in the manual — your Field sets it. That's different from the policy window itself: the SGC's 2015 launch announcement described an expiration on 31/03 and enrollment for the new coverage period between March 1 and 31. Since that's information more than ten years old, treat it as a clue and confirm the current year's calendar with the secretary's office before relying on it. Another detail that surprises volunteer parents: support-team people, such as parents who accompany the club and elders, cannot be included in this insurance.
Want to understand the system from the inside — who has access and how to log in? It's all in the SGC guide. And here's the honest part: no app replaces the SGC. The member's official record, transfers between clubs, the virtual card, and the annual insurance only exist there. Tools like Desbravai help with day-to-day life — communicating with parents, scheduling, a gallery with consent controls — but what guarantees your child is insured is an active record in the official system.
Read alsoPathfinder Medical FormCan I authorize (or refuse) my child's photo?
You can do both — and this is the part of the form that has changed the most in recent years. LGPD art. 14 opens a section just for children and teenagers. The main clause states that processing their data "must be carried out in their best interest." § 1 requires, for children's data, specific, highlighted consent given by at least one parent or the legal guardian.
Translating that into form language: that tiny footer paragraph along the lines of "I authorize the use of the image for all purposes" doesn't count. Art. 8, § 1 requires written consent to appear in a clause set apart from the others, and § 4 is even more direct: generic authorizations for data processing are void. It has to state what for, where, and for how long.
And you can change your mind: under art. 8, § 5, consent can be withdrawn at any time, through a free and simplified procedure. In practice, a written request to the club's leadership is enough — and the club must stop using the photo from then on.
| Image use | What to ask on the form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Internal identification (virtual card, badge, unit roster) | Its own authorization, with a written purpose | This is internal use; the Pathfinder's virtual card lives inside the official system |
| Social media and the club's website | Separate checkbox, marked "yes" or "no," with a time limit | Open publication is what worries families most — and the easiest to get wrong |
| Posters, invitations, and promotional material | Another, equally specific checkbox | Circulates outside the club and tends to get reused for years |
| Press, campaigns, or any commercial use | Separate authorization, case by case | Should not be bundled into the enrollment form |
| A photo that exposes an embarrassing situation | Don't publish it, even with a signed authorization | ECA, arts. 17 and 18: the right to respect covers one's image, and it's everyone's duty to avoid embarrassment |
Articles 17 and 18 of the Child and Adolescent Statute (Law 8.069/1990) reinforce this care: the right to respect covers the inviolability of physical, psychological, and moral integrity, including the preservation of image and identity; and it is everyone's duty to safeguard the dignity of children and adolescents, protecting them from humiliating or embarrassing treatment. A signed authorization does not authorize humiliation.
There's also a newer backdrop: Law 15.211/2025, nicknamed the "Digital ECA," enacted on September 17, 2025. Art. 41-A literally states that it "takes effect on March 17, 2026" — wording set by Law 15.352/2026, after Provisional Measure 1.319/2025 had already shortened the original deadline. Its scope is in art. 1: it applies to information technology products or services aimed at children and adolescents or likely to be accessed by them — in other words, it targets platforms, apps, games, and networks, with age verification, parental supervision, and moderation. A paper form on a table at church is not an information technology product, so the law doesn't change the club's practical rule (specific, highlighted guardian authorization). But it pushes everyone in the same direction: the child's best interest first. If the club runs its own app, group, or online gallery, then it's worth reading the law's text carefully before changing procedure.
Finally, a nuance most articles ignore: Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) issued Statement CD/ANPD No. 1, of May 22, 2023 (Official Gazette of 24/05/2023, issue 98, section 1, p. 129), stating: the processing of children's and adolescents' data "may be carried out based on the legal grounds set out in art. 7 or art. 11" of the LGPD, "provided their best interest is observed and prevails, to be assessed case by case." In other words: consent isn't the only door — but it remains the right door for a published photo, which is a use not necessary for the activity.
Who signs what, when the family isn't the standard setup?
Form A carries two signatures, with different weight. The Pathfinder's comes with a pledge text: to follow the principles of the Pledge and the Law, cooperate with the leaders, and obey the club's rules. It's symbolic and educational — the child is saying "I'm in." The parent's or guardian's signature is the one with legal effect: it confirms the information is accurate and commits to supporting the club's activities.
And when real life gets complicated? The LGPD refers to "at least one parent or the legal guardian" (art. 14, § 1), so one signature is enough as a general rule. But there are situations where the club needs to be more careful:
- Separated parents: if a court ruling defines custody, whoever holds custody is the one who signs. It's reasonable for the club to ask for a copy of the document and record who authorizes outings.
- Grandparents, aunts/uncles, or an older sibling: they can only sign with proven legal responsibility (custody or guardianship). A note doesn't transfer responsibility — and in an emergency, it's the paperwork that speaks.
- A Pathfinder who shows up alone, with no guardian present: talk to the leadership before enrolling them. The club shouldn't simply accept the signature of someone who isn't legally responsible for the minor.
A fine detail almost nobody notices: the ECA defines a child as anyone under 12 and an adolescent as anyone between 12 and 18. Since the Pathfinder Club serves ages 10 to 15, most of the club is made up of adolescents — and § 1 of art. 14 literally refers to children. That doesn't let anything off the hook: the Manual requires the guardian's signature for everyone, and the best-interest standard applies to both age groups. When in doubt, always get the guardian's signature.
It's also worth remembering § 4 of art. 14: controllers must not make participation in games, internet applications, or other activities conditional on providing personal information beyond what's strictly necessary. In plain terms: refusing the photo cannot cost your child their spot in the club. A technical detail for anyone discussing this with the leadership: § 4 refers to the data subjects "covered by § 1," which speaks of children — a literal reading covers those under 12. For adolescents aged 12 to 15, the argument rests on the main clause of art. 14 (best interest) and the necessity principle in art. 6, III, which lead to the same place.
Where does this form end up after it's signed?
It stays at the secretary's office. Section 3.4.1 of the Manual requires that every member have an individual folder, holding their history at that club: unit evaluation form, copies of class, honor, and course certificates, photos, health forms, and medical prescriptions. It's a nice thing to see — and exactly why it needs care.
The LGPD, in art. 6, VII, requires security: technical and administrative measures capable of protecting data from unauthorized access. In club life, that turns into simple, concrete practices:
- A folder with health data doesn't sit on the table or get passed around at the meeting. A locked cabinet, with access restricted to the leadership.
- Forms don't go through a WhatsApp group. A photo of someone else's form on a phone is a leak waiting to happen.
- Anyone leaving leadership returns any copies they took home.
- When a Pathfinder leaves the club, the form doesn't become ordinary trash: it must be disposed of so nobody can reconstruct the document.
- One person is responsible for answering families who ask what data the club holds on them — that's a data subject's right under the law.
On the other side of the counter, for the family, here's the golden tip: keep a copy of the form you signed, including the image section. If you ever need to ask for a photo to be taken down, you'll know exactly what you authorized — and so will the club.