A massive, unexpected storm and the threat of another at this year's much-anticipated International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, USA, forced the organisers to end the event a day earlier than scheduled at its new venue.
The largest Pathfinder Camporee, which took place from 5-11 August, had 60,000 attendees. Five hundred and fifty participants were from the British Union Conference (BUC) territory. They remained unfazed by the American storm that disrupted the camping grounds on the event's third day.
The records show that the first International Camporee was held in Denver, Colorado, at Red Rocks, with 12,540 young people, and was sponsored by the North American Division (NAD). In 1999, the Camporee relocated to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with 22,000 participants. As the number of attendees increased at the five-yearly event for subsequent camporees, finding a new venue to accommodate the numbers and planned events for the Camporee became necessary. The new venue at the CAM-PLEX Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming, was chosen for its size and facilities to host the ninth International Pathfinder Camporee.
Pastor Kevin Johns, the former BUC Youth Ministries Director, who organised the team from the BUC territory, said, "It is always a great opportunity for our young people to join and share with others globally their spiritual journey of adventure, discovery, creativity and spiritual fellowship." Johns says, "It was a delight to see many of our young people from the BUC participating and enjoying the many activities offered at the Camporee." He adds, "My greatest joy continues to be seeing our young people deciding to give their lives to Christ, and we had 15 Pathfinders from the BUC territory committing their lives to Christ through baptism at the Camporee in Wyoming."
The BUC delegation had a team dedicated to providing guidance and meals for the BUC group. Johns said, "We did our best in planning to provide meals for our contingent and encouraged many to engage in the many activities that took place at the Camporee for honours, exchanging pins, and enjoying the various shows on display."
There was a wide range of activities for everyone, including a rodeo, bike displays, parades, games, football, a sports car display, pin trading, earning honours, patches, drilling/marching exhibitions, archery, a talent showcase, and sporting activities.
The Pathfinders were actively involved in community service projects. It was touching to see thousands of Pathfinders lining up each day, waiting for their turn to board buses that would take them to various venues for community service activities in the Gillette area. The young people's commitment to helping out in places like museums, schools, retirement centres, and veteran councils and cleaning graves felt genuinely noble.
This year's theme, 'Believe the Promise', was based on the story of Moses accepting God's call to deliver the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. The theme aimed to inspire Pathfinders to believe in God's promises and His plan for their lives. The Pathfinders enjoyed the superior acting and the live-action musical featuring original songs and inspirational spiritual messages daily from Pastor Damian Chandler, senior pastor of the Capitol City Seventh-day Adventist church in Sacramento, California.
Thousands of young people gathered on the main grounds each evening to listen to messages of faith, hope, and belief in the promise. On Thursday night, Elder Ted Wilson, General Conference President, appeared on stage to affirm the young people and the audience's belief in the promise of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and His soon coming.
Baptisms
One of the spiritual highlights of the Camporee was the baptismal service programme. Many young people committed their lives to Christ through baptism. Over the five days of Camporee, 1,187 Pathfinders were baptised, and over 1,000 Pathfinders returned home to be baptised. Among them, fifteen young people from the British Union territory participated in the baptism, including three from the South England Conference, two from the North England Conference, and ten from the Irish Mission.
The Stormy Day
On Wednesday, 7 August, a hot day suddenly turned into a violent storm, causing some tents at the campsite to be blown away in Gillette. Emergency warnings were issued, prompting organisers to sound an alarm for everyone to seek shelter in three large complex shelters for their safety. The storm raged for about two hours, disrupting some activities and causing minor damage to the campsite, before finally subsiding, allowing everyone to be released from the shelters.
Another forecast predicted yet another storm for the last day of the Camporee. Due to the severity of the previous day's storm, the organisers decided to end the Camporee after the final event on Friday, prioritising the safety of the attendees. However, despite the wisdom of this decision, the storm never materialised on the predicted day.
The next Camporee will take place in 2029 at the same venue in Gillette, Wyoming, USA.