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| Friend/General |
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Requirement 1 |
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Be 10 years old and/or in Grade 5 or its equivalent. |
The Friend level has been designed to be within reach of a person in the fifth grade or higher. It should be challenging, yet achievable for a child at this point in his or her formal education.
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Requirement 2 |
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Be an active member of the AJY Society or Pathfinder Club |
The requirement to be an active member of the club is easy to brush over, but consider what it means. An active member is a youth that participates in the spiritual, mental, physical and service activities. It means showing up for meetings and completing the classwork and honors expected. It means following the Pathfinder Law and being a good representative of the club.
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Requirement 3 |
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Memorize and explain the Pathfinder Pledge and Law. |
The Pathfinder Pledge and Law are listed below. These should be recited during a Pathfinder Club's opening exercises at the beginning of each meeting. By the end of the Pathfinder year, every Pathfinder in regular attendance will know them by heart without any effort on the part of the instructors (or the Pathfinders).
Pathfinder Pledge
| Pledge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| By the grace of God | Only as I rely on God to help me can I do His will |
| I will be pure, | I will fill my mind with that which is right and true and spend my time in activities that build a strong, clean character. |
| I will be kind | I will be considerate and kind, not only to my fellow men, but also to all of God’s creation. |
| I will be true | I will be honest and upright in study, work, and play and can always be counted upon to do my very best. |
| I will keep the Pathfinder Law | I will seek to understand the meaning of the law and will strive to live up to its spirit, realizing that obedience law is essential in any organization. |
| I will be a servant of God | I will pledge myself to God first, last, and best in everything I am called to do. |
| and a friend to man. | I will bless others and do to them what I would have them do to me. |
For something different, do the Pledge and Law in sign language.
Pathfinder Law
Every young person should have a code by which to shape his life. For the Adventist youth, the Pledge and Law is that code. These must be learned and their principles put into practice.
The Pathfinder Law is for me to:
| Law | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Keep the morning watch | I will have prayer and personal Bible study each day. |
| Do my honest part | By the power of God, I will help others and do my duty and my honest share, wherever I may be. |
| Care for my body | I will be temperate in all things and strive to reach a high standard of physical fitness |
| Keep a level eye | I will not lie, cheat or deceive and will despise dirty talk and evil thinking |
| Be courteous and obedient | I will be kind and thoughtful of others, reflecting the love of Jesus in all my associations with others. |
| Walk softly in the Sanctuary | In any devotional exercise, I will be quiet, careful, and reverent. |
| Keep a song in my heart | I will be cheerful and happy and let the influence of my life be sunshine to others |
| Go on God's errands | I will always be ready to share my faith and go about doing good as did Jesus |
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Requirement 4 |
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Read the book The Happy Path (or similar book on the Pledge and Law). |
The Happy Path is a 128 page book of stories by Lawrence Maxwell published by the Review and Herald. There are 16 chapters themed to the lines of the Pathfinder Pledge. Pathfinders can read it for themselves or use the book in club worships. The book should be available through your conference youth department. It is also available for free in pdf in these and other locations:
- http://watford-town.adventistchurch.org.uk/site_data/2169/assets/0019/2801/The_Happy_Path.pdf
- http://www.pathfindersonline.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=2044
- http://www.booksp.net/pdf/title/happy-path-pathfinder.html
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Requirement 5 |
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Have a current Book Club Certificate. |
The book club reading list is regularly updated with new books released by Adventist publishing houses. Check with your conference youth department or see here
Advanced 
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Requirement 1 |
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Know, sing or play, and explain the meaning of the Pathfinder Song. |
The Pathfinder Song should be sung during the opening ceremonies at the beginning of each regular Pathfinder Meeting. By the end of the year, every Pathfinder in regular attendance will know the song without any additional effort on their or on the instructor's part.
The words to the song are below, and a link to the sheet music can be found after that.
Oh, we are the Pathfinders Strong,
The servants of God are we
Faithful as we march along,
In kindness, truth, and purity
A Message to tell to the world
A truth that will set us free!
King Jesus the Savior's coming back
For you, and me!
Oh We Are the Pathfinders Strong Sheet Music with Guitar Chords
