Thursday, December 30, 2010

Queensland floods, Camporee floats

While reports of flooding throughout much of Queensland dominate news reports in Australia, preparations for the Australian Pathfinder Camporee in Toowoomba are proceeding well.

“We’re going great guns,” says Pastor Tony Knight, director of youth ministries for the Australian Union Conference and director of the camporee. “Set-up is going brilliantly so I’m quietly confident that we’ll do OK despite all the rain earlier in the week.”

Toowoomba received more than 100 millimetres of rain on December 26 and 27 as part of the wider deluge that has caused the evacuation of towns, cut roads and dampened holidays across the “Sunshine State.” Some staff travelling to the camporee site were delayed or diverted but most roads have now re-opened and the sun has been shining on the camporee preparations.

“Some have been asking if Camporee has been cancelled because of the rain and floods, and some have even Facebooked the idea that it has been cancelled,” reports Pastor Knight. “But everything is going well and we’re powering on, and there is no possibility of a cancellation.”

Most staff are now on site in Toowoomba and preparations are well underway for the Australian Pathfinder Camporee beginning on January 4.


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

One jouney begins

On Sunday, December 26—more than a week before the camporee begins in Toowoomba—a group from the Bunbury Pathfinder club in southwestern Western Australia set out to cross the continent by car and trailer. Brett, Alan, Adrian and Sasha plan to meet the rest of the club at Brisbane airport on January 2 before travelling together to Toowoomba.


Finishing packing the trailer.


A prayer for safe travel led by church elder Terry Preston.


The journey begins.

Thanks to club director, Wayne Wearing, for sharing these photos.

If you have photos of your club's journey to camporee, you can share them here by emailing your story and pictures to nathan.brown@signspublishing.com.au.

Travel safely.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Preparations continue

With camporee now less than two weeks away, preparations are being finalised at the Australian Union Conference youth headquarters in Melbourne, ready for materials to be transported to Toowoomba in the next few days.

Camporee booklets have been prepared and printed (by Signs Publishing Company).


Australian youth director Tony Knight is finalising the administrative side of things in his Melbourne office.

And Victorian youth director Moe Ioane Stiles was helping pack some of the stage props for the night programs at camporee.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

News release: Glenvale youth group to host national church event

A Toowoomba youth group is excited about playing host to a national church event in their hometown this summer.

Based at Glenvale Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Glenvale Pathfinder Club is the host club for the Australian Pathfinder Camporee to be held at the Clive Berghofer Events Centre, Glenvale, from January 4 to 9. Currently more than 2500 young people and leaders from all parts of Australia have registered to attend.

The Glenvale Pathfinder club has 30 members aged between 10 and 15 from local churches and community. According to one of the club’s leaders, the young people are excited about participating in the event themselves, as well as the thousands of young people who will visit their community.

“It’s fantastic that Toowoomba has been chosen as a place that is suitable for a national gathering of this kind,” says Julian Archer, chaplain of the Glenvale Pathfinder Club. “We encourage our young people to get outdoors and learn to be practical and hard-working, rather than screen-focused. Toowoomba was built on this kind of pioneering spirit and we are happy to be able to share this with our visitors.”

And the Glenvale-based youth group stands to benefit from this influx of visitors. The club is operating a store for the many visitors and taking orders for supplies from visiting clubs. “The funds raised will contribute to building a workshop and storage shed for club equipment on the church’s property in Glenvale,” says Mr Archer, “so this event will make a contribution to our club and our community into the future.”

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Special offer for Australian Pathfinders attending 2011 Camporee

Attendees of the Australian Pathfinder Camporee are invited to visit Australia Zoo for this ripper rate! Simply purchase your tickets online and visit Australia Zoo before or after Camporee, between January 3 and 13, 2011, and receive 15 per cent off your admission ticket! What a ripper!

Visit the official Under Oath website for details on how your club can take advantage of this offer. You can buy as many tickets as you need for your whole Pathfinder club! While you're in South Queensland, take this opportunity to get up close to a world of amazing nature at Australia's most interactive wildlife destination!!

Monday, October 18, 2010

News release: Finishing touches on planning for January youth event

Meetings in Toowoomba this week (October 18–20) will put the finishing touches on planning for a national youth event to take place in the city in January. The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “Pathfinder camporee” is to be hosted at the Clive Berghofer Events Centre from January 4 to 9. Currently more than 2500 young people and leaders from all parts of Australia have registered to attend.

Tony Knight, national director for the church’s youth ministries, is excited about the opportunity to host this event in Toowoomba and the reception his team has received on their previous visits to Toowoomba. “All the people we have dealt with have been very welcoming and friendly, right from the first contact,” he says. “The Glenvale showgrounds are a fabulous venue and we appreciate the great infrastructure with the ability to source the things we need for the event.”

But Mr Knight also expects this event to contribute to the Toowoomba community. “This event will have economic elements, through food, catering and building supplies as well as tourism in the region before and after the camporee,” he says. “But one motivating factors is community service and citizenship, so we hope to be able to contribute to some community projects while in Toowoomba.

“Our organisation is all about building up young people and equipping them for success in their life journey, so we are planning that this will be a positive experience for the young people attending and for the community of Toowoomba, as well.”

The young people who will travel to Toowoomba in January for this once-in-four-years event represent Pathfinder clubs from around the nation. Pathfinders is an activity-based adventure program hosted by Adventist churches around the world for young people (aged 10 to 15) from the church and community. There are currently an estimated 2 million Pathfinder members worldwide.