Earrings, Nail Polish, and Piercings in the Uniform

You opened your closet before Campori (the huge camporee that brings together thousands of Pathfinders) and froze: can I wear earrings? What if I put on that really subtle nail polish? In the club group chat, everyone says something different. One friend swears it's allowed, the counselor says no, and nobody shows where the rule actually comes from. Let's settle this the right way — looking at what's written, what varies, and the why behind it, no scolding and no runaround.

🎯So, Can You or Can't You?

Let's get straight to it, because you deserve a real answer. At an official event (Campori, congresses, parades) there is a written rule: no jewelry or costume jewelry with the uniform — and that includes earrings, necklaces, and piercings. Outside of events, in the club's day-to-day life, a lot depends on what your leadership agrees on. And nail polish? There's no written rule on that anywhere in our region.

To avoid mixing things up, this article splits everything into three layers. Layer 1: the written rule (what the manual prohibits in black and white). Layer 2: what varies from club to club (and who decides). Layer 3: the principle behind it — the why. Keeping these three boxes straight in your head settles 90% of the group-chat arguments.

One reminder before anything else: costume jewelry is any decorative accessory not made of precious material (that store-bought earring, the little bracelet, the string necklace). Jewelry is the kind made of valuable metal and stone. And adornment is just an old word for 'decoration you put on the outside.' None of these terms are insults — they're just categories the manual uses.

📜Layer 1 — What the WRITTEN Rule Says

The clearest and most recent source is the VI Campori DSA 2027 Guidelines Manual, the largest Pathfinder gathering in South America (DSA stands for South American Division, the church region that covers Brazil and neighboring countries). In the Behavior section, the text lists: 'should not wear jewelry or costume jewelry (earrings, necklaces, piercings, etc.), short shorts or tight pants'. This applies to anyone attending Campori DSA 2027 — girls and boys, no exceptions.

There's also the RUD — Pathfinder Uniform Regulation, the official document from the Pathfinder and Adventurer Ministry that defines every piece of the official uniform, where each patch goes, and how to wear it. One golden rule of the RUD is that you cannot modify the uniform or add pieces or accessories to it that aren't part of the standard. In other words: the uniform already comes 'complete' — hanging on an earring, a chain, or an extra pin goes outside the standard.

Notice the combo: the event manual says what not to wear, and the RUD says the uniform is not to be decorated. Both point to the same place. So when someone asks 'where is it written?', the answer exists and has an address — it's in the Campori manual and in the RUD, not in anyone's guesswork.

Layer 1 (event) comes from the VI Campori DSA 2027 Manual. The day-to-day column is local practice, which varies.

💅What About Nail Polish? Here's the Honest Part

This is the question that comes up most — and the answer requires honesty. We searched the DSA's official documents and found no written rule about nail polish. The Campori manual mentions jewelry, costume jewelry, earrings, necklaces, and piercings; nail polish isn't on the list. The RUD talks about pieces of the uniform, not nails. In other words: anyone who states with absolute certainty that 'nail polish is prohibited' or 'nail polish is allowed' is going beyond what's actually written.

When there's no written rule, Layer 2 comes into play: the local agreement. What decides this is your club's leadership together with your Conference or Union (the church's regional organization that coordinates the clubs in an area). One club might ask for natural nails at ceremonies; another might not even bring it up. This isn't chaos — it's the written rule covering the essentials and leaving the details to the people close to you.

So the mature path is simple: ask your leadership. One sentence settles it: 'does our club have an agreement about nail polish at events?'. You show respect, avoid the surprise of showing up and having someone comment, and you also learn to handle rules the adult way — by asking the source, not the rumor.

📿Earrings and Piercings Outside the Event: Does Anything Change?

Yes, context matters. The written rule targets the moment you're in uniform representing the club — at Campori, in a parade, at a major event ceremony. There, the agreement is clear: no jewelry, no costume jewelry, no visible piercing. It's the same logic as a soccer team taking the field in matching kits: in that moment, everyone wears the standard.

In everyday life — at your school, at home, on an outing without the uniform — no Pathfinder manual has any say over your clothes. What comes into play there is Layer 3, the principle (which we'll explain shortly), and it's a conversation with your family and your faith, not a disciplinary score. It's worth not confusing the two: breaking the written rule at an event costs the club points; your choices outside of that are a different matter entirely.

And the classic questions: a simple watch and prescription glasses aren't 'adornment,' they're functional items — they usually pass without issue. A wedding ring is a case the church itself handles with care and common sense, and it's outside the world of 10-to-15-year-olds anyway. When in doubt about a specific item, go back to the golden rule: ask the club leadership before the event.

❤️Layer 3 — Why Does the Church Think This Way?

Here's the part almost nobody explains, and it's the most important one. The rule didn't come from 'enjoying prohibition.' It comes from Fundamental Belief nº 22 of the Adventist Church, called Christian Behavior. It teaches that dress should be simple, modest, and neat, and that true beauty 'does not consist of outward adornment' — meaning it doesn't depend on how much decoration you add on the outside.

There's also the document Lifestyle and Christian Behavior, voted in late 2012 by leaders from eight South American countries, which calls for modesty 'without display of gold, pearls, or precious stones.' The biblical idea behind it appears in verses like 1 Corinthians 10:31 ('do it all for the glory of God') and 1 Timothy 4:12 ('be an example'). The focus is the heart, not appearance.

Important: this is not the church saying you look bad with earrings, nor judging those who wear them. It's an invitation to value who you are on the inside more than the decorations on the outside. You can understand this principle, find it beautiful, and still have questions — that's completely fine. The goal here is for you to understand the why, not just obey on autopilot. In fact, the same idea of simplicity appears in the spirit of the Pathfinder Law.

True beauty does not consist of outward adornment.Fundamental Belief nº 22 — Christian Behavior (Adventist Church)

🤝I Disagree, or I'm Not Sure. Now What?

First: disagreeing or having doubts doesn't make you a 'bad Pathfinder.' It makes you someone who thinks — and that's great. Also remember that not everyone in the club is Adventist (you can take part without belonging to the church, as we explain in do you have to be Adventist?). That's why the church usually keeps a clear line between what is an event rule (everyone follows it, it's the group's agreement) and what is a personal conviction (each family decides).

The approach that works is a calm conversation, not venting in the group chat. Talk to your counselor or the director: 'I understand the event rule and I'll follow it; I just wanted to understand the reasoning better.' You'll notice most leaders love that question — it's a sign you're taking things seriously, not being rebellious. And the details without a written rule, like nail polish, get sorted out exactly that way.

Finally, a serious note. A rule about clothes and the body is one thing; someone using that to humiliate you, pressure you in a way that's scary, or hurt you is another, completely different thing — and that is never acceptable. If it happens, turn to your parents, a trusted club leader, or call Disque 100 (a free, confidential human-rights hotline in Brazil). Taking care of you always comes before any uniform.