Enchanted Rock Camp Out

We had a wonderful time at the Enchanted Rock Camp Out. Our theme for the weekend was Elijah, and the settings in and around the rock, by the small creeks and springs, and even in the cave, evoked the places the prophet of old must have tread. Sabbath service was spent in a natural cathedral, the granite boulders standing as pillars, the spreading blue sky and white clouds the dome. The view was inspiring, and reminded us of the hand of God in creation.

Our weekend activities included hiking, caving, hiking, climbing (for the TLTs), hiking, bouldering, hiking, studying nature (primarily the cacti at ERSNA), and hiking, among others. (Yes, we put on quite a few miles all told, not only for the backpackers, but for all the club members.) We set up two campsites, the base camp, where the Friends, Companions and Explorers stayed, and the outpost camp, a little over two miles away, where the Rangers, Voyagers and Guides practiced backpack camping. At night, under a spectacular canopy of stars, we were serenaded by the coyotes.

The Pathfinders displayed excellent trail behavior, watching out for one another, providing assistance when needed, and making sure that all our activities were completed by the whole units, not just a few individuals leaving their cohorts behind. The Pathfinders and staff helped each other overcome uncertainties (can we really hike in with all our gear? can we cook over a small tin alcohol stove? can we sleep in a tent away from home?), overcome nervousness and fears (the cave, the cliff, the dark), and emerge from the weekend more confident, more united, and spiritually refreshed (even if our muscles were tired).

The weekend ended with a special Happy Birthday song for staff members Cathy and Connie, who spent their birthday out in the wild.

So what is next for the SAIL Pathfinders?

In March, we will be focusing on First Aid skills, and the TLTs will be helping review and train skills. We will also have the opportunity to take part in another evangelism program at the Church. Also, don't forget to bring your papers on endangered animals and marsupials to the next club meeting, so we can finish work on those honors. April brings the church camp out, and the SAIL club has been asked to plan some activities for Sabbath and Sunday morning. In May, we have the Central Texas Pathfinder Olympics, and the Texas Teen Pathfinder Backpacking trip. And keep watching for announcements, as we are looking to plan another club camp out before we finish up the year at the beginning of June.

Enchanted Rock Camp Out - Feb 25-27

Our Enchanted Rock campout is coming up soon. You can find out a little more about Enchanted Rock State Natural Area from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/enchanted_rock/), from the Friends of Enchanted Rock (http://www.friendsofenchantedrock.com), and from the website devoted to Lance Allred's book on Enchanted Rock (http://www.enchantedrocksna.com).

We will be splitting into two groups - the Friends, Companions and Explorers will be at the base camp, the Rangers, Voyagers and Guides will be backpacking in to the primitive camping area.  We will have supply checklists handed out at the club meeting, and available on the FORMS page on our website (http://austinsouthpathfinders.com). There is also a page of links to different resources about backpacking, gear, camp stoves and cooking, and the flora and fauna of Texas (http://austinsouthpathfinders.com/#/camping-and-backpacking-links/4548314783). For those new to backpack camping, or looking to brush up skills and get new ideas, we will be sharing with you at the club meetings additional information and tips. Also, for even more additional information and advice, the local REI stores happen to be offering free classes in backpacking in the weeks ahead of our trip. If you are interested, sign up soon, the spots fill fast. [Feb. 17, 7:00-8:30PM - REI Downtown - Backpacking Basics. Feb. 22, 7:00-8:30PM at REI - 9901 N Capitol of Texas Hwy - Light and Fast Backpacking Basics.)

There are some rather interesting features of Enchanted Rock that we will be able to observe during our outing, including the vernal pools that form on the weathered dome of granite. These support plant and animal life, including the Fairy Sword Fern (Cheilanthus lindheimeri) and small Fairy Shrimp (sort of like Sea Monkeys). It may be a little too early for the best showing of wildflowers, but you would be surprised at the number that this apparently barren rocky area can support.

We should also have the opportunity to look into (and crawl through) one of the caves on the back side of the dome, and the TLTs may be continuing with their rock climbing. Because it is still February, the weather can be rather changeable, so be prepared with appropriate clothing, and for those who get cold at night, you may want to bring a knit cap to sleep in.

This is a great opportunity to explore one of the most popular parks in Texas, and also a wonderful setting for a study of how God can support life in some of the most unlikely places. 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

November Already?!

The SAIL Pathfinders have recently finished assisting  hosting a 12 day evangelism series at the Austin South SDA Church. In addition to helping provide child care, working sound and video, recording and still photography, and set up and ushering, presenting special music and reading the daily health nuggets, several of the Pathfinders also presented the evangelical message. It was an impressive thing to watch these youth prepare and present the message, to stand up and share what they believe, to overcome fear and step forward to share the gospel.

With the conclusion of the program, we are shifting back to our regular Pathfinder schedule, and have many activities and plans before the end of the year. This past weekend, we broke into our units for different events - the Friends and Companions worked on the candle-making honor (making several types, including candles made in egg shells), the Explorers and Rangers went over to the new property to work on camping skills (proper ax and hatchet handling, water purification, camp stove and lantern operations, and fire-building), and the TLTs headed over to the rock gym to work on Rock Climbing, part of the training for next year's Enchanted Rock campout.

Upcoming in December we have the North CTX Honor fair, will take part in a Resist Drugs and Gangs march in downtown Austin,  have our annual Holiday party, and take part in the Church's living nativity and Christmas Cantata. We may also take a trip again to the living Bethlehem, or a few other local activities, so keep an eye on the calendar and email for updates.

October is almost upon us, and the weather is finally changing (even if it waited until the day AFTER the CTX Camporee). We have had a busy start to this 60th anniversary Pathfinder year. There was the bee-autiful hike along Bull Creek (only a few stings), learning WAWWAWI, the Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup, drill practice and the Central Texas Camporee at Inks Lake.

The Pathfinders did exceptional at the Camporee, despite the heat and humidity, and the food was top-notch (these Pathfinders are becoming excellent camp cooks). The speaker for the weekend delivered some very thought-provoking messages on leadership and personal choices. The SAIL Pathfinders were called upon to lead opening exercises Sabbath Morning and several song services.

From Bible knowledge to knot tying to compass work and nature study, the SAIL Pathfinders performed extremely well, earning the second highest number of points of the 18 clubs in attendance. An admirable position for a club just now entering its second year in existence.

And there is a lot more to come. We will kick off October with another hike, and then prepare for the Pathfinder Sabbath program and our Induction ceremony. Through end of October and heading into November the Pathfinders will take part in an evangelistic series at the Austin South Seventh-day Adventist Church, with several of the youth presenting the message.

It is shaping up to be another great Pathfinder Year!

SAIL Pathfinder Registration

The SAIL Pathfinder Club is about to launch into a new year. On August 14, we have been asked to head up to Round Rock to share a bit about Pathfinders and help recruit for a new Central Texas Pathfinder Club. August 25 is registration night. The registration materials are now available on the SAIL Pathfinder website (http://austinsouthpathfinders.com/ - click the 'registration" button). Additional materials and information will be available shortly. Activities start quickly this year - September 4 is our first Sabbath afternoon meeting and hike, September 12 is the Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup, and September 24-26 is the 2010 Central Texas Camporee. Our regular Pathfinder meetings will be September 8 and 22.

We are looking forward to another great Pathfinder year!

See you soon,

-Rodger

60 Years of Pathfindering

July 2010 marks 60 years since the formation of the worldwide Pathfinder Club. Growing out of the Missionary Volunteer (MV) and Junior Missionary Volunteer (JMV) Societies of the first decade of the 1900s, the program we know today as the Pathfinder Club developed slowly. In 1922, the first two progressive classes, Friend and Companion, were introduced to the JMV societies, followed five years later by the Master Guide curriculum (then known as Master Comrade). In addition to the MV and JMV societies and the progressive classes, the Seventh-day Adventist Church began to host summer camps in the latter half of the 1920s, with the name “Pathfinder” attached to one camp in California in 1929. In 1932, the first JMV Pathfinder Camp was established in Idyllwild, California, and in 1946 the first conference-sponsored Pathfinder Club was founded in Riverside, California, to carry on the activities and youth involvement of the summer camps year-round. That same year, John H. Hancock (later World Pathfinder Director) designed the Pathfinder emblem, the shield and sword surrounded by a triangle, and two years later Helen Hobbs made the first Pathfinder flag. In 1949, Henry Bergh wrote the Pathfinder Song - “Oh We Are The Pathfinders Strong.” Then, in July 1950, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists approved and encouraged the formation of Pathfinder Clubs as a worldwide mission for youth.

Pedernales Falls Camp-Out

On May 7-9 the SAIL Pathfinder Club held its last camp-out of the Pathfinder year, setting off for Pedernales State Park, west of Austin. This was the first time this year we were able to have a camp-out of our own, and the club split into two parts - those working on Ranger and Voyager went backpack primitive camping, while those in the Friend, Companion and Explorer classes set up a base camp. Each group had their own activities, with both focusing on First Aid and Rescue, among other things. Both groups got together for a Sabbath church service on the banks of the river, where Ray led us in a discussion of alters and thankfulness. We then crossed back over the river for a burrito lunch, before the teens headed back into the wilderness and the juniors headed off on a hike, complete with a mock First Aid emergency. Both campsites were visited by scorpions, the teens also had a tarantula head under a tent,  raccoons digging through the backpacks at night, and a Barred Owl that visited the campsite. In the Junior camp, deer walked through the site. It was a wonderful experience to be out in nature together, and God sent a front through, breaking the 100 degree weather Friday night and keeping us cool and comfortable.