Pathfinder Club Positions

Ever notice how every team that works has someone in every position? The Pathfinder Club is no different: someone plans, someone teaches, someone handles the money, someone prays with the group — and there's even a spot for whoever just walked in the door. This guide shows who does what, from the director to the unit captain, following the manual's official rules. Spoiler: there's a position on this roster waiting for you.

🧭Who's in charge of the Pathfinder Club?

The Pathfinder Club is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's program for boys and girls ages 10 to 15. And like any large team, it needs organization. The Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores — the official rulebook published by the South American Division (DSA), the church office that coordinates the work across South America — sets out that every club is run by a director, associate directors, counselors, instructors, a chaplain, a secretary, and a treasurer.

Think of a soccer team: the director is the head coach, the associate directors are the assistant coaches, the counselors are the trainers who stay close to each group — and the unit captain is the captain on the field, wearing the armband, playing right alongside the team. Nobody plays alone: every role exists to keep the club running well and safely.

Above the club there's also a support network: the local church board, the district pastor, and the coordinators at the Conference or Mission (the church's regional office, also called the Field). That network approves, monitors, and backs the club all year long.

Club leadership according to the Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores (DSA) and OMD 009/2015.

🎯What does the club director do?

The director is the team's head coach. He runs the regular meetings, sets the year's goals, arranges materials and venues for activities, and answers for the club before the church. He's also the one who calls and chairs the club's two committees — committee, here, is just the name for the group that meets to make decisions.

To take on the role, the Manual Administrativo requires: being at least 18 years old, a mature and regular member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, completing the basic board training course, and preferably holding the Leader Investiture — one of the leadership classes. The choice is made every year by the local church's Nominating Committee — the group that names leaders for every department. And there's a bonus: once elected, the director officially becomes a member of the church board.

It really is a big responsibility: per the manual, the Executive Committee — chaired by the director — answers for the club and for the Pathfinders' safety at any activity or event. If you dream of wearing that coach's armband someday, the full path is in our guide on how to become a Pathfinder director.

🤝What are the associate directors for?

Every club needs at least two associate directors: a woman responsible for the girls' division and a man responsible for the boys' division. The manual is direct about it: the reverse can never happen. If the club is large and needs more associates, the church's Nominating Committee decides who fills those spots.

In practice, they coordinate the heart of the program: classes, honors, and units. They're the ones who manage the counselors' and instructors' work, make sure the year's plan actually happens, and step in for the director when he needs to be away. True assistant coaches: when the head coach is out, the game doesn't stop.

The Associate Directors are the director's right arm and left arm.Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores (DSA)

📋Who takes care of the paperwork and the money?

The club secretary is the team's official memory. He records points and attendance, fills out the quarterly report that goes to the Field, keeps the minute book (the official record of the committees' decisions), organizes the membership roster, and also handles the club's communication and library. Without him, the club's history gets lost.

The treasurer accounts for all the finances: dues, fees, offerings, sales, and donations — all logged with a receipt. One important detail from the manual: the club's money is kept in the church treasury, set aside for the club's exclusive use. It works like a safe: the money still belongs to the club, but no one carries it around alone in their pocket.

In smaller clubs, the manual allows the same person to hold both the secretary and treasurer roles, although the work goes better when each person focuses on their own area.

🙏What does the club chaplain do?

The chaplain is the one who looks after the club's spiritual side — and he doesn't need to be a pastor. The manual asks for a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in good standing at the church where the club meets, capable of organizing and leading spiritual activities.

Day to day, he leads the devotional moment — which, per the manual, is mandatory at every meeting —, teaches the Bible class, organizes outreach activities together with the board, and serves as a spiritual counselor for any Pathfinder who needs to talk. It's the role that keeps the club connected to the whole reason it exists.

🧑‍🏫Counselors and instructors: what's the difference?

The counselor is the leader closest to the Pathfinder: he sticks with a single unit through every activity, helps members complete their classes, evaluates each member's progress, and brings updates to the board. Under OMD 009/2015, he must be 16 or older. This role is so important it has its own guide: see it all in unit counselors.

There's also the associate counselor: a leadership trainee, usually 16 or older, who works alongside the counselor and takes over the unit when he's away. It's the classic entry point for someone who just finished the regular classes and wants to stay in the club as a leader.

The instructor, on the other hand, is the specialist teacher: responsible for teaching a specific class or honor. And here's an official quirk: the instructor can be a guest from outside the club — a firefighter, a police officer, a healthcare worker — and doesn't even need to be Adventist. The only rule is coming in with the director's authorization.

⭐What positions can a Pathfinder take on today?

You don't have to wait until you turn 16 or 18 to lead. Within the unit system — the small groups that make up the club — the positions belong to the Pathfinders themselves, ages 10 to 15. The main one is captain: elected by the unit's own vote at the first meeting of the year, in an election run by the counselor. The term runs from three months to a year, and it's the captain who carries the pennant (the small flag that identifies the unit) and presents the group to the director.

The unit secretary is the deputy leader: he takes command when the captain is absent, fills out the Unit Corner form — the part of the meeting set aside just for the unit, the system's flagship program — and serves as messenger between the unit and the leadership. Captain and secretary are the two fixed roles laid out in the manual — the rest are created as the club needs them.

And the list of extra roles is great: treasurer (collects the unit's dues), quartermaster (stores and maintains all the equipment), recreation coordinator (dreams up games and challenges), first-aid officer (looks after the first-aid kit), and unit chaplain (leads the spiritual moments and encourages the Bible year reading plan). Other roles can be created, as long as the Executive Committee approves them.

Internal unit positions set out in the Manual Administrativo (DSA), all filled by Pathfinders ages 10 to 15.

🗳️Who chooses whom in the club?

The choosing starts at the church: the local church's Nominating Committee names the director and associate directors every year. In many churches this happens near the end of the year, and the new board takes over as activities begin.

Once the top spots are filled, the rest comes from within: the Executive Committee — which the manual also calls the board, made up of the director, associate directors, secretary, and district pastor or elder (one of the local church's leaders) — appoints the counselors, instructors, treasurer, and chaplain. It's also the committee that creates the units and approves administrative decisions.

There's also the Regular Committee, or leadership meeting: every Executive Committee member plus the counselors, instructors, chaplain, and treasurer, meeting at least once a month to review the program and each Pathfinder's progress. And it's all on record: the club's leadership is registered in the SGC, the clubs' official record-keeping system.