MINNESOTA CONFERENCE
Minnesota Drum Corps Teams Compete at Pathfinder Camporee
M
ore than 600 Pathfinders, parents, staff and visitors from the Minnesota Conference attended the 2019 International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they enjoyed the spiritual atmosphere and wonderful social opportunities. “It was fabulous to see the campsite fill with our Pathfinders throughout the week,” said Minnesota Conference youth director Shelina Bonjour. As of Friday night, 23
people from Minnesota were baptized, with additional baptisms taking place on Sabbath after the evening program. “Our final numbers are still pouring in, and we praise the Lord that these Pathfinders have committed their lives to Him,” said Bonjour. The event was hugely impactful, with more than 1,300 Pathfinders baptized of the 56,000 people in attendance. On Wednesday, the MidAmerica Union Conference and other unions joined together to parade down
Celebration Way. Each club dressed in their Class A uniforms and lined up with their conference. “It was an incredible opportunity to see the formation and precision of all our clubs working together with the conference, the MAUC, and other unions from around the world,” shared Bonjour. A parade took place each day, with an average of 7,000 Pathfinders marching together. “As we marched down Celebration Way,” recalled Bonjour, “It was a
Photos Courtesy Minnesota Conference
The Minneapolis Prophets junior drill team and freestyle drill team both placed first, and their drum corps team placed second in the competitions at the International Pathfinder Camporee.
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delight to see bystanders stop and cheer for the Minnesota Conference.” Because Minnesota has the only drum corps teams (Southview and Minneapolis First Churches) in the union, the MAUC asked the Minneapolis Prophets to lead the union in the parade. “As a thank you gift for their hard work, the MAUC gifted the members of the Minneapolis Prophets drum corps with white gloves,” said Bonjour. The drum corps, along with marching and drilling teams from throughout Minnesota, competed in the drilling competition on Friday afternoon. “The kids work on these drilling routines for months,” said Bonjour. “We got a sneak preview of their routines in May during the Pathfinder Fair, and it was a delight to see how much they improved.” Minnesota had three clubs compete: Faith Warriors, Light of the World and The Prophets. The Minneapolis Prophets, from Minneapolis First Church, had three teams competing in the drilling competition: a junior drill team made up of the Friends class, a freestyle drill team, and the drum corps. “Our club has had a tradition of competing at Oshkosh since we began the drum corps in 2009,” shared Zachary Migiro, Pathfinder club director. In 2009, the drum corps didn’t get
