LUQUE, Paraguay — The Paraguayan Union of the Adventist Church held, from October 24 to 28, 2012, its first National Pathfinder Camporee. According to Noticias Adventistas, the gathering brought together about 800 Pathfinders and guides from 27 clubs across the country in the city of Luque, under the theme "La Gran Esperanza" (The Great Hope).
The highlight of the event was spiritual: 27 Pathfinders were baptized during the Camporee and more than 50 people responded to the call to give their lives to Jesus, according to the same publication. The program, coordinated by Pastor Benjamín Belmonte, of the Union's Youth department, also included the investiture of 18 leaders and the recognition of more than 300 Pathfinders.
A milestone for the Pathfinders of Paraguay
For the first time, Pathfinder clubs from across Paraguay gathered at a single event of national reach. The 1st National Camporee of the Paraguayan Union took place in the city of Luque, in the metropolitan region of Asunción, between October 24 and 28, 2012.
According to Noticias Adventistas, the gathering brought together about 800 Pathfinders and guides coming from 27 clubs spread across the national territory. For a country that, at the time, had a Pathfinder movement still in consolidation, bringing together clubs from different cities at a single camp represented an important organizational step.
The chosen theme, "La Gran Esperanza" (The Great Hope), refers to the central message of hope in the return of Jesus, one of the pillars of the Adventist message and a common thread of the major Pathfinder events of the South American Division.
27 baptisms and more than 50 decisions
The spiritual objective was at the center of the program. According to Noticias Adventistas, 27 Pathfinders were baptized during the Camporee, sealing a decision of faith before their club companions and the families present.
In addition to the baptisms, more than 50 people responded to the appeal to give their lives to Jesus, according to the same source. At Pathfinder events, this type of decision is usually followed by Bible classes and further preparation at the home clubs, so the number of responses to the call tends to unfold into new baptisms in the following months.
Pastor Ivay Araujo, one of the event's guests, emphasized the sense of service that should mark the life of a Pathfinder. According to Noticias Adventistas, he stated that "the life of a Pathfinder must always be subject to the service of God and of humanity."
Read also'Valientes' Camporee sets record in EcuadorInvestitures and recognitions
The Camporee also served to recognize the participants' progress in the class program. More than 300 Pathfinders received recognition pins for fulfilling the requirements of the regular classes, Noticias Adventistas reported.
In the field of leadership, the gathering ended with an investiture ceremony: 12 leaders were invested as Master Guide and another 6 as Master Guide of Excellence, totaling 18 newly invested.
The investiture is the solemn act in which the Church recognizes that a member has completed all the requirements of a class. The leadership classes — Master Guide and Master Guide of Excellence — are stages aimed at those who take on the leading of the clubs, with study, honors, and service requirements far broader than those of the regular classes. Investing 18 leaders at a single event strengthens the base of people trained to run the clubs day to day.
Community service and the presence of authorities
The program was not confined to the camp. According to Noticias Adventistas, the Pathfinders carried out community service actions in the city of Luque, such as cleaning, painting, and improvements to public spaces, as well as visits to a hospital.
Municipal authorities of Luque followed part of the event and witnessed the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, installed in the city's main square to mark the holding of the first National Camporee. The presence of local public officials is often sought at these gatherings as a way to give visibility to the social and educational work of the clubs.
The camp also included activities typical of a Camporee: skill development, outdoor recreation, integration among the clubs, and competitions, such as drill contests, mobile Pathfinder, gateways, and campsite corners.
What a Camporee is — and why this one was different
A Camporee is the largest camp of the Pathfinder Club. It brings together several clubs at the same location for a few days and combines spirituality, outdoor life, drill, honors, and competitions. Camporees can be regional, conference, union, or division — the greater the reach, the rarer and more significant the event.
The Paraguayan Union is the administrative field responsible for Paraguay within the South American Division (SAD), the region of the Adventist Church that covers eight countries of South America. Being the first Camporee of national scope meant, in practice, gathering under a single banner clubs that until then met only at smaller, local events.
For today's Pathfinder, in Paraguay or in any other SAD country, the 2012 record helps to understand how a movement grows: it begins with isolated clubs, gains regional events, and, at a certain point, makes the leap to the national gathering that comes to bring everyone together. The first Camporee in Luque was that leap for Paraguayan Pathfinders.