Some people think the Pathfinder uniform is just the spotless dress uniform worn at ceremonies. But the club t-shirt — the same one that takes on campout mud, trails, and games — is also an official uniform, with a name, a patch, and rules set out in regulation. Since 2020, it goes by Uniform B. Knowing these rules saves you an embarrassing mix-up when packing your bag (and when ordering the club's new t-shirts).
What is the activity uniform?
Think of your favorite soccer team. It has the match kit, the spotless one worn on game day — and it has the training kit, lighter and built for everyday use. In the Pathfinder Club (the Seventh-day Adventist Church's club for ages 10 to 15), it works the same way: the dress uniform is the match kit, and the activity uniform is the training kit. Both are official.
In practice, the activity uniform is the club t-shirt — the one you wear at campouts, outings, games, and regular meetings. The rules for it come from the Uniform Regulation (the RUD), published in 2020 by the South American Division, the Adventist Church's headquarters for the eight countries of South America. According to the RUD, its purpose is the club's visual identification: one glance, and you know who belongs to the group.
And it isn't just any t-shirt. The regulation spells out what's required, what's optional, and even what's banned — we break it all down below.
Worn whenever necessary, for the visual identification of the Club.2020 RUD, Activity Uniform section (Pathfinders)
Uniform B and Uniform C: what's the difference?
Since 2020, the activity uniform has a last name. The RUD calls the dress uniform Uniform A, the club's activity uniform Uniform B, and the Conference or Mission's activity uniform Uniform C. Conference and Mission (also called the Field) are like the regional office that oversees every club in an area.
In plain terms: Uniform B is created by your own club — each club picks its color and design, with approval from the local Field and the church board. Uniform C, on the other hand, is created by the Field and usually shows up at large events that bring several clubs together, like camporees.
One curious detail from the 2020 RUD: a club can only produce Uniform B after it already has Uniform A. Dress uniform first, activity uniform second.
| Uniform B | Uniform C | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | The club (approved by the local Field and the church board) | The Conference/Mission (the local Field) |
| T-shirt (required) | Club identification + Field identification + D1 patch | Field identification + D1 patch |
| Optional items | Pants, shorts, or skirt; sneakers; cap with D4 patch; jacket with D1 patch | Pants, shorts, or skirt; sneakers; cap with D4 patch; own scarf slide with D4 |
| Where you'll see it most | Club meetings, campouts, and activities | Field events, such as camporees and training sessions |
Comparison based on the 2020 RUD (South American Division), Pathfinders section, p. 35.
What must the t-shirt have (and what's optional)?
Uniform B has just one required piece: the t-shirt, with club identification, Field identification, and the D1 patch — the famous red Pathfinder triangle, with the shield and sword at its center. On Uniform C, the t-shirt carries the Field identification and the same D1 patch.
Everything else is optional, and the 2020 RUD lists: pants, shorts, or a skirt (the local church decides), sneakers, a jacket with the D1 patch, and a cap in whatever color and style the club chooses — this one carrying the D4 patch on the front. The cap, incidentally, is the one spot on the activity uniform where pins and buttons are allowed.
So what is that D4? It's the symbol for club activities: a green circle with the map of South America and the Pathfinder triangle in perspective. Under the 2020 RUD, it belongs on the activity uniform's cap and on promotional materials — not on the t-shirt.
Does the scarf come with it?
It does — and it isn't optional. The 2020 RUD states that the official scarf must be worn over the activity uniform: the yellow triangle of fabric that identifies Pathfinders. It's only worn after the scarf investiture ceremony, when the Pathfinder is officially welcomed into the club.
Here's an interesting freedom: the Conference/Mission, the region, or the club itself can create an exclusive scarf slide to wear with Uniforms B and C — including commemorative slides for the club's anniversary or for events. There's just one catch: that alternative slide cannot appear on Uniform A. On the dress uniform, only the official slide is allowed.
Inventing a different scarf, though, is out of the question: the regulation bars the club, the Field, and the Union from creating alternative scarves or using scarves from other countries. There's only one yellow scarf — and it's what stitches the movement's identity together across the whole world.
When do you wear the activity uniform, and when the dress uniform?
Rule of thumb: ceremonies call for dress, action calls for activity. Investitures, parades, special services, and camporee opening ceremonies usually call for Uniform A. Campouts, outings, games, community projects, and regular meetings are Uniform B's natural territory — nobody wants to hike a trail in a necktie.
But the call is made by the club's leadership or the event's organizers. The RUD lists the occasions when a uniform is worn — club meetings, camporees, services, parades, investitures, community campaigns — without locking in which of the two goes with each one. So the classic question can I wear my club t-shirt to church? comes down to: it depends on what leadership asks for that day.
One rule, however, is fixed: no campout or outing can happen unless members are visually identified — with scarf and/or t-shirt —, without authorization from the church board, and without the required insurance. On the trail, the activity uniform isn't decoration — it's part of safety.
Where did the name Uniform B come from?
The activity uniform has been around for a long time, but the letters are a recent addition. It was the 2020 edition of the RUD that put things in order: A for the dress uniform, B for the club's activity uniform, C for the Field's. That same edition declared every previous regulation repealed — so if you come across an older manual with different rules, the 2020 edition takes precedence.
That's why t-shirts and artwork with older layouts still turn up here and there. When in doubt, there's only one source: the RUD published by the South American Division, available for free on the Adventist Church's official portal.
What's banned on the activity uniform?
The 2020 RUD is blunt about two bans: berets and camouflage clothing of any color or resemblance are not allowed. The goal is to keep the club's look away from anything military — a Pathfinder isn't a soldier.
Mixing things up isn't allowed either: the trading vest covered in pins (the one packed with camporee souvenirs) can be worn over the activity uniform or with regular clothes, but never with the dress uniform. And any uniform demands good conduct: the regulation notes that whoever is in uniform represents the whole club — it's like wearing your team's jersey: whatever you do in it reflects on everyone.