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Pioneer Clubs® is a non-denominational midweek, church-sponsored youth club program. Initially known as Girls Guild from 1939 to 1941, then as Pioneer Girls from 1941 to 1980, the organization was among the early players in the post-World War II evangelical Christian youth movement which also included InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Young Life, Youth for Christ and Christian Service Brigade. The organization in the early years served girls in grade school through junior high.
Initially, Girls Guild was a sister organization of the all-boys Christian Service Brigade and served as a parallel ministry until 1943 when it incorporated as an independent non-profit organization. At nearly the same time, the organization started a camping ministry known as Camp Cherith® (http://www.pioneerclubs.org/campcherith.htm).
The all-girls focus of the organization remained until a major organizational shift occurred between 1979 and 1981 that resulted in the development of a club program for boys. To reflect the addition of boys, the organization became Pioneer Ministries, which consisted of three divisions: Pioneer Clubs (including Pioneer Girls and Pioneer Boys), Leader Enrichment and Camp Cherith Camping. In 1995 Pioneer Clubs became the official name of the entire organization. Today, Pioneer Clubs continues as a church-sponsored club program for boys and girls, preschool through middle school. Clubs can be run coed, all-girls or all-boys.
The core philosophy of Pioneer Clubs remains the same—helping children learn to put Christ in every aspect of life. The focus of Pioneer Clubs curriculum remains true to its original traditions—emphasizing application-oriented inductive Bible study and Scripture memory. The club program also continues its original structure of an achievement program with awards for Bible activities and life-skill activities, uniforms and ranking by age.
The organization is headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. An extensive collection of Pioneer Girls and Pioneer Clubs archival records and artifacts is maintained at the Billy Graham Center located at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.
History
A tenacious 13-year-old girl named Harriet Brehm is responsible for setting in motion a Christian club program for girls that is now known as Pioneer Clubs. In 1939, she watched her brother and his friends having fun as members of the newly created Christian Service Brigade, founded by Wheaton College student Joe Coughlin. Harriet wanted her own club and asked Joe if he’d start one. He challenged her to get a petition signed by other girls that he would then bring to the attention of the college staff and students. He hoped to stall Harriet. Instead, she presented a petition that seemed to Joe to be signed by “every girl in town” and she even called the President of Wheaton College to check on the progress of a girls club. Wheaton College student Betty Whitaker answered the subsequent advertisement in the Wheaton Record, the college newspaper, and organized Girls Guild, the forerunner of Pioneer Clubs.
The goals of the organization were to meet the needs of girls and young women, provide recreation and help girls grow in their Christian faith. In 1941, Girls Guild was renamed Pioneer Girls. Two years later it incorporated in Illinois as an independent non-profit organization. In addition, Camp Cherith, a summer camping program, started and continues today. The girls club, in part started as a way to give Wheaton College students Christian service opportunities, steadily expanded across the United States. By 1945, Pioneer Girls programs operated in 15 states as well as two Canadian provinces. In the coming decades, the program underwent revisions to meet the changing needs of girls, yet never compromised its essential program structure and philosophy.
In 1981, the curriculum was revised to meet the needs of both boys and girls under the name Pioneer Clubs. In the mid to late ‘80s, curriculum was revised to make it easier to use for leaders. A club program for four- and five-year-olds was introduced. In 1990, a program for two- and three-year-olds followed. Pioneer Clubs created curriculum in both French and Spanish in the early ‘90s.
In 2003 Pioneer Clubs introduced the Discovery program, offering churches with a small number of children between kindergarten and grade 6 an option to run a successful club program. In 2007 Pioneer Clubs released the Exploring program. This newest format allows churches with a large number of children between grades 1-6 a way to run a club program.
Today, Pioneer Clubs programs operate in all Canadian provinces and nearly all 50 states as well as overseas.
Ministry Objectives
The primary focus of the Pioneer Clubs ministry is the overall development of children—spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social. Since its beginning, Pioneer Clubs has strived to help children learn how to make Christ Lord in every aspect of life.
In addition, the organization seeks to support the personal and spiritual development of the adult volunteers and increase their understanding of children. These objectives are woven throughout the curriculum and structure of the program. Specifically, the objectives enable children to grow as whole persons with a biblical foundation that supports healthy relationships and positive self-images.
Curriculum
The Pioneer Clubs curriculum is based on a distinct philosophy of Christian education and a psychology of learning. The educationally designed spiraling curriculum introduces simple facts, skills, and concepts at early age levels, increasing in complexity at succeeding ages. A variety of activities and techniques encourages children to respond differently and individually. The curriculum revolves around the knowing, feeling, and doing learning domains to support a holistic learning process.
The Pioneer Clubs philosophy of Christian education endorses the belief that each person is created by God with unique attributes and abilities. Children are encouraged to explore their uniqueness and express their creativity. With the reinforcement of the curriculum, children develop values by considering choices and their consequences within the security of the club environment.
Under the Pioneer Clubs umbrella of programs, there are currently four unique program offerings: Pioneer program featuring age-specific clubs, Exploring program featuring a large-group format, Discovery program designed specifically for small churches with a limited number of children, and Camp Cherith—the summer camping ministry.
Camp Cherith
Camp Cherith [1]is the official summer camping ministry of Pioneer Clubs. Started in the 1940s, Camp Cherith now has 21 locations across North America and serves thousands of children each summer. Each camp provides a Christ-centered, Bible-based outdoor program designed to help children and youth learn about Jesus Christ and how to make him Lord in every aspect of life. It is designed to build on what happens at regular Pioneer Clubs meetings. All camps are licensed by Pioneer Clubs and associated with Christian Camp and Conference Association, and are members of either the American Camp Association or the equivalent Canadian camp association.
U.S. 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Non-Profit
Pioneer Clubs is a 501 (c)(3) organization and a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). For a member profile of Pioneer Clubs, visit [2]
List of Trademarks Registered to Pioneer Clubs
Pioneer Clubs®
Pioneer Girls®
Pioneer Boys®
Pioneer Ministries®
Camp Cherith®
Cherith®
Discovery Club®
French: Clubs des Pionnieres®
Clubs des Pionniers-Pionnieres®
Clubs des Pionniers®
Spanish: Clubes Pioneros®
Lithuanian: Pirmeiviu Klubai®
Bibliography
Wheaton, Illinois, Wheaton College, Billy Graham Center Archives, Records of Pioneer Ministries, Collection 264.
Eunice Russell Schatz, The Slender Thread: Stories of Pioneer Girls’ First 25 Years, (Mukilteo, WA, WinePress Publishing, 1996).
Sara Anne Robertson, “A Description of Pioneer Girls: An International Religious Club” (Ph.D. dissertation, Northern Illinois University, 1977).
Dr. Timothy Larsen, “Pioneer Girls: Mid-Twentieth Century America’s Girl Scouts,” Asbury Journal (publication forthcoming).
External links
Pioneer Clubs (http://www.pioneerclubs.org)
Camp Cherith (http://pioneerclubs.org/campcherith.htm)
Billy Graham Center Archives (http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/GUIDES/264.htm)
Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum (http://www.vintagegirlscouts.com/kcpioneergirl.htm) Site with vintage photos of Pioneer Girls uniforms and awards plus a brief history of Pioneer Clubs.