Your unit already has a name, a war cry, and a decorated corner. Now comes the question that organizes everything: who does what? Everyone has heard of the captain, but when it's time to build the unit's leadership team, the real doubts appear. Which offices actually exist? Is the captain elected or appointed? For how long do they serve? And what does a quartermaster even do?
The confusion has a simple cause: part of this is written rule, part is tradition that each club adapts in its own way. The unit system and the captain's role are in the official materials of the South American Division (SAD). The full list of offices — chaplain, treasurer, quartermaster, health educator — comes far more from the clubs' established practice than from a fixed table.
This article separates one thing from the other. You will see each office with its role, who usually fills it, and the step-by-step of how the unit chooses the captain — naming who decides at each stage. Data verified on 07/23/2026 in the sources listed at the end.
What is the unit leadership team?
Before the offices, the big picture. The unit is the small group inside the club — the heart of what Pathfinders call the unit system. Instead of treating forty children as one single mass, the club divides them into teams of about six to eight Pathfinders (some sources say four to eight), always of the same age range and the same sex.
At the head of the unit is the counselor: an adult, preferably 18 years or older, of the same sex as the Pathfinders in the unit. They are not an office within the group — they are the leader responsible for it, the bridge between the unit and the club leadership. Many clubs also have an associate counselor (from age 16), who assists and substitutes for the counselor when they are absent.
The "unit leadership team" that gives this article its name is something else: these are the roles filled by the Pathfinders themselves, ages 10 to 15. This is where captain, secretary and company come in. And there is a principle worth keeping in mind from the start: the goal is for every member of the unit to have a role. It's not about filling the group with titles — it's about no one being left out, each with a piece of the responsibility in their hands.
Where all of this happens is in the unit corner, that block of 30 to 40 minutes that every regular meeting should reserve for the group. That's where the captain organizes, the secretary takes attendance, the chaplain leads the meditation — the leadership team in action.
What are the unit offices?
Here we have to be honest with you: there is no single, official table that freezes "the six unit offices". What exists is a set of roles widely adopted by the clubs, with two of them — captain and secretary — cited as the main ones in the unit materials themselves. The rest appear according to the size of the group and the custom of the club.
This is the leadership team you find in most clubs, with each one's role in a single line:
| Office | What it does, in one sentence | Weight in the team |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | Leads the unit from within, keeps the group united and presents it to the leadership | Core |
| Secretary | Handles attendance, punctuality, the uniform and the unit's records | Core |
| Chaplain | Cares for the spiritual side: meditation, prayer, harmony of the group | Very common |
| Treasurer | Manages the unit's money — contributions, fundraising, cash box | Common |
| Quartermaster | Stores and preserves the unit's materials and belongings | Common |
| Health educator | Handles first aid and the first-care kit | Common |
Two words that may be new to you. Quartermaster is the one who keeps the material — think of the unit's "keeper of all things," responsible for the tent, the ropes, whatever the group bought. Health educator is the old stretcher-bearer: the Pathfinder who plays the role of the group's nurse, with simple dressings and the first-aid kit always at hand.
Larger clubs create still other roles — flag-bearer, historian, the one in charge of the war cry. There is nothing wrong with that. The practical guidance of the unit materials is generous: if there is a Pathfinder left without an office, invent one. What should not happen is a member spending the whole year without any responsibility of their own.
The captain: what they do and what they are NOT
The captain is, by far, the most sought-after office in the unit — and that is exactly why it's worth explaining well what it is.
The captain is a member of the unit chosen to encourage the group and help it fulfill the program, through their own example and personal influence, inspiring each teammate to give their best. In practice, they are the one who keeps the unit united and organized, presents the group to the club leadership, and leads the drill commands — that marching and formation together you see in the parades. They wear an insignia that indicates the office.
Now, what the captain is not. They are not the head of the unit — that role belongs to the counselor, who is an adult. The captain is the leader from within, a Pathfinder among Pathfinders, who pulls the group along by being at the front, not by being above it. The captain-training materials are direct in warning: because it is the most coveted office, it should not be sought for status or power, but by someone who understands the duties that come with it.
The qualities those materials repeat most are not of military command, they are of character: balance (firm without being arrogant, friendly without being soft), example (the captain does first what they ask of others), honesty and loyalty to the unit and the leadership. A good captain is the Pathfinder the teammates would already follow even without the insignia on the arm.
How and when is the captain elected?
Here is the point that raises the most doubt, and it's best resolved in three layers.
1. What the official materials say. The published definition is clear on one point and discreet on another. Clear: the captain is chosen by the unit — the decision is born from the group, it is not a top-down appointment. And their time of service varies from three months to a year, according to the term approved by the club leadership. Discreet: the texts do not describe a step-by-step voting rite. In other words, that the unit chooses is stated; how it chooses is left open.
2. What varies from club to club — and who decides. It is precisely in that open space that each club builds its custom. There are units in which the Pathfinders vote for who they want as captain; there are clubs in which the counselor conducts the choice, listening to the group and confirming the name; there are those who do an agreed rotation so that more Pathfinders go through the experience. None of these formats contradicts the rule — they all fit within "chosen by the unit." Who defines the format and ratifies the term is the club leadership, together with the counselor. The unit's vote proposes; the leadership approves the length of the term.
3. The principle behind it. Why not fix one captain forever and be done with it? Because leadership in the unit is a school, not a throne. The short term — from a quarter to a year — exists so that the experience of leading is not concentrated in a single child. Rotating the captain gives more Pathfinders the chance to organize the group, speak in public, and answer for the unit. Whoever chooses well looks at who will grow in the office, not just at who is already popular.
A tip from someone who has seen this go sour: agree on the term beforehand, out loud, with the group and with the counselor. "You'll be captain until the next induction" avoids the awkward scene of a Pathfinder thinking they lost the office when, in reality, their term simply ended.
Read alsoUnit Captain and SecretaryThe other offices, one by one
With the captain chosen, the leadership team is completed. Each of these roles usually falls to a Pathfinder aged 10 to 15, and the choice follows the same logic: the unit proposes, the counselor guides.
Secretary. This is the administrative arm and the second most important name in the group. They handle attendance, punctuality, regular presence, the uniform and hygiene, and keep the unit's records up to date. A detail many people don't know: when the captain is absent, it's the secretary who usually takes command of the unit that day. So give the office to someone organized and reliable, not to whoever "was left over."
Chaplain. Cares for the spiritual side — the meditation at the corner, prayer, harmony of the group. They work side by side with the counselor on the unit's spiritual climate. Good character and respect for teammates are expected of them. You don't need to be baptized to take on the chaplaincy, but it's an office where example weighs a lot.
Treasurer. Manages the unit's money: monthly contributions, event fundraising, the group's cash box. They keep a simple record of income and expenses. It's a great first contact for a child with the idea of accountability — everyone's money, cared for by one, open to all.
Quartermaster. The guardian of the belongings. They care for the material the unit acquires — tent, ropes, tools, whatever it is —, store it in a safe place when it's not in use, and keep a list of what exists. It doesn't require baptism either. It's the perfect office for the careful Pathfinder, the kind who never loses anything.
Health educator (stretcher-bearer). The unit's "nurse." They apply basic first care, do small dressings, and are responsible for carrying and restocking the first-aid kit. Someone older and responsible in the group is usually chosen for this — and it's a role that pairs beautifully with the First Aid honor.
Who decides the offices: the counselor or the unit?
The short answer is: both, in different roles. And understanding that division avoids most of the backstage quarrels.
The unit has a voice in the choice — especially in the captain's, whom the materials say is "chosen by the unit." It's healthy for the children to take part, give their opinion, and feel that the leadership team is theirs. But a voice is not the final word.
The counselor is the one who coordinates and balances. They are the one who knows each Pathfinder, who notices that so-and-so needs a nudge of responsibility and that another already leads too much. It falls to them to ensure the choice makes pedagogical sense — that the offices form people, and don't turn into a popularity contest. And the club leadership steps in to approve the captain's term and give the general framing within the club's calendar.
| Decision | Who has the say |
|---|---|
| Nominate/choose the captain | The unit chooses; the counselor guides |
| Confirm the captain and the length of the term | Club leadership, with the counselor |
| Distribute the other offices | The unit proposes; the counselor balances |
| Create a new office so no one is left without a role | Counselor, with the unit |
| Replace someone who isn't fulfilling the role | Counselor, talking with the Pathfinder first |
The practical rule fits in one sentence: the unit chooses, the counselor forms, the club approves. No one is in charge alone — and that's how it should be.
Why give every Pathfinder an office?
It could be simpler: one captain, one secretary, and let the rest just take part. That's not the design chosen, and the reason is formative before it is organizational.
The unit system was designed so that the young people themselves lead the young people. When each Pathfinder has a role, they stop being a spectator and become a responsible part of the group. The treasurer learns to give an account. The quartermaster learns to care for what belongs to everyone. The chaplain discovers they can lead a spiritual moment. These are small doses of real responsibility, sized to their age — exactly the kind of experience that forms tomorrow's adult leader.
That's why the unit materials insist that no one is left without an office, and that the captain's leadership be temporary. The goal was never to create a hierarchy of children bossing children around. It was to give each one a piece of the whole to care for — and, at the end of the year, to have formed six or eight Pathfinders who know, from their own experience, what it is to serve a group.
If you are a counselor, keep this: the best sign that your unit leadership team is working is not the perfect captain. It's the day you are absent and the unit organizes itself — because each one knew exactly what their place was.