offered.
This September, the Southern California Conference (SCC) celebrated 80 years of Pathfinders with the first SCC camporee in seven years. All weekend, Pathfinders were busy at Lake Skinner, California, with activities, worship, honors, fellowship, and much more. There were 950 registered, and 44 clubs were represented throughout the course of the weekend.
As Pathfinders and club directors came together for this big event, it called for all hands on deck. “I was surprised when we started looking at all the areas,” Nuris Barriga, SCC youth ministries administrative coordinator, recalled. “Everything needed something huge—things like the amphitheater, programming, the sound system and cameras, and security.”
But a team of around 60 volunteers and staff embodied a spirit of collaboration to make it happen. All weekend, teamwork showed up everywhere. From one club providing food for the staff to others joining together to lend what the other didn’t have.
The theme, “Be Intentional,” was seen throughout the event. “For many, a camporee can be just a place where you go and complete fancy honors or do some really fun activities,” said Paulo Tenorio, SCC youth ministries director. “When you look at the program of Pathfinders, it’s a discipleship program. You do all the work of discipleship throughout the year, but at camporee, you encourage them to make a decision for Jesus and follow Him for the rest of their lives. Many will look back at a camporee as the time where a concrete decision for Jesus was made.”
From powerful praise and worship to meaningful messages and exciting camaraderie, the weekend’s spiritual emphasis was hard to miss. Meshach Soli, executive secretary and ministerial director for the Hawaii Conference, was the weekend’s speaker, sharing three messages to encourage Pathfinders to be intentional in their walk with Jesus.
Many former SCC youth ministries directors were able to be present to celebrate the occasion, and each had a story about their Pathfinder roots. Kevin Morris, who served the SCC youth ministries department during the covid pandemic, shared his connection to the others on stage, from asking Ernesto Castillo how to start a Pathfinder club to inviting Doug Shultz to speak at his junior class presentation in academy.
This camporee brought more than a meaningful time to fellowship, earn some honors, and enjoy activities together. Ultimately, it was an event many of those present will look back on as an important milestone in their relationship with Jesus. One Pathfinder came home to tell her mom what a great experience she had, but she couldn’t put her finger on why, except to say, “I really felt like the Holy Spirit was there.”