The International Pathfinder Camporee was a spectacular event, with over 60,000 people attending, which means that 60,000 people needed food, shelter, and supervision. Because of the scale of the Camporee, with multiple events on and off the campground—not to mention all the sanitation work needed to ensure that the place was clean and safe—substantial work had to be done. But Pathfinders seldom notice those things or the people behind the scenes who are making it all happen; they just remember the dazzling evening program, the thrill of pin trading, and the excitement of new activities. I know I did when I attended the 2019 Camporee.
However, when I participated in the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee as a club staff, I realized the effort it takes. Although I was able to experience some of the joys, I realized the immense amount of work it took on behalf of many people to ensure that there was medical help, directions, sanitation, food, and activities. As a result, I asked some fellow Camporee staff about their work and experiences at the 2024 Camporee and their perspective on behind-the-scenes work.
“During the Camporee, two particular departments showed me the love of Christ. They are jobs that can be overlooked. I’ve sometimes overlooked them—the Pathfinder director and the camp cooks. I was able to experience firsthand how important these jobs are. The Pathfinder directors have to sacrifice so much, along with giving their own time to plan for this week at Camporee years in advance, and even with years of prep, things still don’t always go perfectly. Even among these bumps in the road, the directors have to gracefully deal with it and continue to work hard to keep everything together and to give the campers a wonderful week. The camp cooks must also sacrifice a lot to make things go smoothly. Between prepping the kitchen and ingredients that need to be bought and brought to Camporee to the actual cooking, serving, and cleaning that needs to happen during the week, the camp cooks work hard to make sure the Pathfinders are ready to face the week and all its activities with a full belly.”
- Maddie Hann (sophomore, business)
“I went to help my mom make food for the club. My dad is the club director, so the whole family pitched in to make it an enjoyable experience for the Pathfinders. I saw a lot of behind-the-scenes work firsthand leading up to departure. Pins, lists, and shirts covered the table, and the coolers were packed with food. While camping, most of my days were spent at the campsite repairing things, making food, and getting ice to repack the coolers. My first Camporee was when I was 11, just a baby. I was just excited to be there and see the evening plays. I did not see all the work that went on to make it all possible. Now I do.”
- Ryleigh Snow (junior, graphic design)
“My experience as a staff member differed from my memories of being a Pathfinder. As a Pathfinder, I went around enjoying the activities offered by the Camporee and watched the evening program with all my friends. As staff, however, I worked selling ice for around 10 hours each day that the Camporee was going on, meaning I did not get time to explore the Camporee’s many events and was instead working to ensure that the Pathfinders were having a good time.”
- Mitchell Meekma (junior, computer science)
"The club staff, the general staff, the A-Team staff, the coordinators, the cooks/chefs, the directors, and the activities coordinators all dedicate their time to ensure such a significant event goes smoothly. These are people that Pathfinders often forget. At Camporee, there were thousands of people from so many different places around the world, with different jobs and backgrounds. From the directors of the play to those cleaning the port-a-pots, every job at Camporee played an essential role in the beautiful ministry of this event. I was so blessed to be a part of this experience and have met many wonderful people. I can’t wait for the next Camporee, and I hope I’ll be able to be a part of it again.”
- Maddie Hann (sophomore, business)
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.