Mountain View Pathfinders Lead Parade

The Mountain View Conference Pathfinders  have been leading a statewide festival parade for years and it is making an impression on the community.

Story by Valerie Morikone, Photograph by Art Calhoun

Each year the town of Elkins, W.Va. hosts the statewide Forest Festival, which attracts visitors from as far away as Canada. The festival culminates in a weeklong fall celebration featuring three large parades along with many activities, displays, events, rides and entertainment options. The Elkins church hosts an informational booth with educational health activities and health and spiritual literature. The first Sunday of this annual event features a parade of children that travels through downtown Elkins and includes hundreds of participants. The Elkins Black Bears Pathfinder Club has been a part of this parade for many years, and the conference has led the parade as the color guard for the last eight of those years. Thirty-seven Pathfinders from five clubs joined the parade this year.

Some of the young people distributed literature and other gifts to children and adults who lined the parade route. Joel Stecker, conference Pathfinder director, finds that participating in this yearly event gains great recognition for the Pathfinders as well as the name Seventh-day Adventist. “You always have people asking for more information about Pathfinders. It’s great public relations,” says Stecker.