A new Pathfinder arrives insecure. They know no one, don't know where to sit, don't understand the Unit's slang or what those scarves and badges mean. In the first weeks, their brain answers a single silent question: "do I belong here?". Most of the time, you answer that question without realizing it, in the first thirty minutes.
Welcoming well is not about having a nice welcome speech. It is backstage work: preparing the Unit before the newcomer arrives, calling the child by name, placing a veteran at their side, showing the routine calmly, and checking closely whether they really feel part of it. It is what the Bible simply calls welcoming: "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God" (Romans 15:7, NIV).
This guide is the leader's step by step for the first days. Each stage has a concrete example from everyday Club life, an integration checklist, and the list of signs that the newcomer has not yet become part of the group. If you are a Counselor, Instructor, or Director, this is for you.
Why the first days decide everything
A new Pathfinder does not judge the Club by the quality of the Honors or the history of the Unit. They judge it by one thing only: whether they were noticed. A child who spends the first meeting leaning against the wall, with no one talking to them, almost always does not come back the following week. Not because the Club is bad, but because no one showed them that they belonged there.
The foundation of this is biblical and it is strong. Jesus summed up caring for others in simple gestures of welcome: "I was a stranger and you invited me in" (Matthew 25:35, NIV). A stranger is exactly what the newcomer is at the first meeting: someone from the outside who doesn't know the codes of the place. To take them in is to make them one of the group.
Think also of the parable of the lost sheep. "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4, NIV). The Christian leader walks the reverse and equally attentive path: they make sure the newly arrived sheep never gets to feel lost among the ninety-nine who already know each other.
In practice, this means treating a newcomer's arrival as a planned event, not as chance. The next sections show how.
Before they arrive: prepare the Unit
Welcoming begins before the newcomer walks in. As soon as you know a new child is coming, tell the Unit at the previous meeting: "Next week Lucas is arriving, he's twelve, he likes soccer. I want you to make him feel at home." This turns the veterans from an audience into hosts.
Know the name beforehand. Nothing welcomes faster than hearing your own name from someone you just met. Ask for the name on the registration form or from the family and use it in your first sentence: "You're Lucas, right? We were waiting for you." Getting the name wrong or forgetting it on the first day sends the opposite message.
Have a spot ready. Make it clear where they will sit, which Unit they will be in, and who their Counselor is. A Pathfinder standing in the middle of the yard not knowing where to go has already begun to feel like an outsider. If the Club has a uniform, guide the family in advance about what the child can wear while theirs isn't ready, so they don't feel different from everyone else.
Prepare the basic material: a family contact form, the card for the Class they will be pursuing and, if possible, a small welcome kit (a scarf, a Unit flyer, the quarter's schedule). The cost is low and the message is huge: your place here was already reserved.
Assign a buddy: the veteran who walks alongside
This is the most effective piece of integration, and the cheapest. Choose a veteran Pathfinder, of good character and communicative, to be the newcomer's buddy for the first weeks. Their role is simple: don't leave the new one alone. Sit together, explain the games, show where the bathroom is, warn them about what will happen in the next part of the meeting.
Choose by affinity, not by lottery. A shy twelve-year-old boy opens up faster with a veteran of the same age and with similar interests than with the most popular Pathfinder in the Club. Arrange it with the buddy in private, emphasizing the mission: "You were new here once too. Your task for the next four weeks is to make sure Lucas never feels alone, not even once."
The buddy does not replace the Counselor; they complement them. The Counselor cares for the bond with the responsible adult and for progress in the Class; the buddy cares for inclusion minute by minute, in the child's language. A good Counselor knows how to orchestrate both roles, and it's worth understanding this craft calmly in our guide on how to be a good Counselor.
Recognize the buddy afterwards. When the newcomer is integrated, thank the veteran publicly. This teaches the whole Unit that welcoming is a matter of honor, and it creates a line of volunteers for the next arrival.
Read alsoHow to resolve conflicts in the UnitThe first 30 minutes: routine, ideals, and a good ice-breaker
Introduce the Unit first, the Club later. Before talking about the history of Pathfinders around the world, introduce the concrete people nearby: "This is Pedro, this is Ana, that's Counselor João." A name with a face is worth more than any institutional lecture on the first day.
Explain the routine without jargon. The newcomer doesn't know what close-order drill, an altar call, the pre-meeting, or Bible class are. Say in simple language what will happen and why: "Now we pray, then we play, then we learn an Honor." Knowing what comes next removes much of the anxiety of being new.
Use an ice-breaker that forces inclusion. Avoid activities where the newcomer only watches. Prefer games that require them to interact by name: circles where everyone says their name and something they like, pairs who must find three things in common, or challenges where the team only wins if everyone takes part. The goal is not fun for fun's sake; it is to manufacture the newcomer's first conversations with the veterans.
Present the ideals as values, not as memorized text. Speak of the Pathfinder Pledge and Law by what they mean in practice: caring for others, being honest, serving. In the Adventist Club the ideals are rooted in Christian faith, and you can present this with clarity and respect, without imposing. A newcomer from a non-Adventist family needs to feel welcome even before sharing the same belief. Welcome comes before doctrine.
The first four weeks: stay close without disappearing
Welcoming is not an event; it is a period. The decision to stay or leave consolidates in the first four meetings, and that is precisely where many leaders let their attention slip. Don't let it slip. Treat each of the four weeks as an official part of the integration.
Week 1: the goal is that they come back. At the end of the meeting, call the newcomer by name and say you hope to see them next time: "It was great to meet you, Lucas. Next week there's a treasure hunt, don't miss it." Give a concrete reason to return.
Weeks 2 and 3: the goal is to build a bond and a first achievement. Involve them in something they can complete, a simple Class requirement, a task on the team, a knot learned. The first achievement inside the Club turns "I'm visiting" into "I belong." Praise the effort in front of the Unit.
Week 4: the goal is belonging. There should already be friends, a usual spot, a role. Do a short review with the buddy and the Counselor: does he speak up spontaneously? Does he have someone to sit with? Does he smile? If the answer is no, act now, there's still time. And remember: good welcoming goes hand in hand with respectful correction; when you need to guide behavior, do it by the path of positive discipline, never by humiliation that pushes the newcomer out.
Involve the family from day one
The Pathfinder is a child or teenager; who decides whether they continue is, in large part, the family. That is why welcoming includes the parents or guardians from the first meeting, not just at a parents' meeting far down the road.
Introduce yourself to the guardians on the first day. Say your name, your role, and how they can reach you. Ask for a direct contact and offer yours. A parent who knows their child's Counselor trusts more and complains less.
Communicate, don't disappear. In the first weeks, send the family a short message sharing something good: "Lucas took part really well today, he made friends in the Unit." This reassures the parents and makes them allies. A total absence of news, on the contrary, breeds insecurity and dropping out.
Inform them of the essentials clearly: times, place, what to bring, costs, uniform, calendar of outdoor activities. A family that understands how the Club works supports it; a family in the dark hesitates. Treat the guardians as part of the Unit, because, in practice, they are.
Warning signs and integration checklist
Learn to read the signs that the newcomer is not feeling part of the group. They are subtle and appear early. Watch out if the child: arrives and leaves without talking to anyone; is always on the edge of the games; has no one to sit with; answers only in monosyllables; is not called by name by their peers after two weeks; or disappears without notice for a meeting. A single sign already calls for action; two or more are a red alert.
If you identify these signs, act quickly and without drama. Talk one-on-one, lightly: "Are you enjoying the Club? Is there something you wanted to do that we haven't done yet?" Reinforce the buddy, create a role for them in the Unit, and check that there is no exclusion or teasing from peers, a topic we cover in our guide for parents on bullying at the Club.
Use the checklist below as the Unit's standard for every Pathfinder who arrives. It fits on one sheet and keeps the welcome from depending on memory or the mood of the day.
| Stage | What to do | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Before the 1st meeting | Know the name; tell the Unit; reserve a spot and a buddy | Counselor |
| Arrival | Greet by name; introduce the people; hand over the welcome kit | Counselor + buddy |
| 1st meeting | Explain the routine without jargon; ice-breaker with inclusion; reason to come back | Instructor / Director |
| Weeks 1 to 4 | Stay close; create a 1st achievement; review in week 4 | Counselor + buddy |
| Family | Introduce yourself to the parents; send good news; inform times and costs | Counselor / Director |