UCC Pathfinders Introduce New Honors

August 29, 2024

Have you ever wondered how pathfinder honors are created?

By Autumn Dunzweiler

UCC communications coordinator


Have you ever wondered how pathfinder honors are created? Upper Columbia Conference club ministries wondered the same thing and began researching and creating their own honors. Their guide question was, “how do we keep introducing our kids to new crafts, activities, career options, and ways of serving in ministry?” The answer — pathfinder honors.


“Over the last several years, coordinators in Upper Columbia Conference, led by Luke Torquato, have created an astonishing number of new honors,” shared Richie Brower, outgoing UCC associate director of young adult, youth, and club ministries. “At the International Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, UCC introduced more than 25 brand new conference-developed honors. The focus of these honors ranges from needle felting to agricultural technology, tidepools, and health evangelism.”


The team, known as Activity Outpost, began the process of piloting honors because they noticed some holes in the honor options that pathfinders had. The process is strenuous. The team first needed to get approval from the North American Division honors taskforce to begin piloting honors. Once they were approved, they realized several problems.


“First, a piloted honor can take years to go through the piloting stage before it is available to purchase at AdventSource,” shared Torquato. “Second, pathfinders who pilot a new honor may never receive the patch that they earned if they don't stay in pathfinders long enough. Lastly, club directors and instructors are less likely to teach a piloted honor if there are published honors with all the resources available.”


Although they recognized these problems, Activity Outpost felt that this was extremely important to continue creating honors. 


“It is a way for us to give back to our Pathfinder organization as a whole,” explained Torquato. “It is my hope that Pathfinders around the world can benefit from the work that our team is doing. In addition, the money that is received from the sale of piloting patches is given to Hope Builders, our conference's service-oriented organization, for pathfinders to serve in our communities.”


Activity Outpost has taught a series of honor pilots at the Union Camporee and had large-scale presentations of new regional honor pilots like Palouse, explorers of the west, Oregon trail, and Pony Express, at the 2024 International Camporee. 


“These honors are the result of young and energetic team members who invest their creative energies into creating exciting learning opportunities for our kids,” said Brower. “It’s fun to be part of a team that makes space for innovation and the chaos of a creative process.”

Many of these honor pilots created will grow up to become full-fledged NAD honors over the next several years. In Gillette, the UCC team, along with their partners, will introduce thousands of pathfinders to the new honors, eventually passing them on to the NAD honors taskforce to refine into official NAD pathfinder honors.


“The reason that I have become involved with writing new honors is because of my own experience with Pathfinders. I believe that Pathfinder honors are a great tool, helping Pathfinders learn new skills or knowledge that they use for the rest of their lives,” shared Torquato. “Even more importantly, each honor must have a way to connect the Pathfinder spiritually with Christ. Without this, earning honors is essentially pointless. It is my hope that for every activity that Pathfinders choose to do, there is an associated honor that draws them a step closer to Christ.”


If you completed one of the 25 pilot honors during the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee, you can order your patch by clicking the button below.

Order UCC Pathfinder Patches

News

By Isaac Meythaler April 16, 2025
Key points included the church's financial position and GC rules of order.
By Isaac Meythaler April 16, 2025
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency faces major funding reductions as a new leader takes over.
An Aerial view of Camp MiVoden showing a lake with a dock in the middle of the woods.
By Isaac Meythaler April 14, 2025
Thanks to longstanding effort and dedication, Camp MiVoden has achieved a key goal by remaining under budget for two years in a row as of this year.
A nativity scene on a float decorated with christmas lights.
By Isaac Meythaler April 7, 2025
KLRF Radio took a new approach to share hope with the Walla Walla Valley last Christmas.
By Isaac Meythaler April 7, 2025
Serve Summit, held at Ellensburg Church on Feb. 21-22, marked a significant moment in the church's efforts to engage with and serve its local community.
By Dustin Jones March 25, 2025
Littell previously served as the director of education and superintendent at Oklahoma Conference.
Shine 104.9 Chaplain Tyler Kern has his beard shaved off by one of his sons as part of a pledge goal
By Isaac Meythaler March 19, 2025
Listener support and innovative pledge goals successfully "razered" funds during Shine 104.9's Annual Spring Friendraiser.
The ACS Thrift Store in Troy, ID being remodeled
By Isaac Meythaler March 11, 2025
Distance made the heart grow fonder for residents of Troy, Idaho, after ten long months of separation from a trusted community member: The local ACS thrift store and food bank.
By David Jamieson March 5, 2025
President Jamieson shares recent actions from Executive Committee to address financial challenges.
The theme of the 2025 National Day of Prayer is
By Kathy Marson March 4, 2025
Churches considering a community event can hold a special National Day of Prayer event!
More Posts