AC Pathfinders Discover Love of Pin Trading in Gillette, WY

GILLETTE, WY—Jyheem Benjamin’s creaky, soft-spoken voice takes a different tone when he puts on his black Pathfinder shirt.

That’s his unofficial pin trading uniform and it’s filled with patches from camping trips he has attended across the country with the Atlantic City-based Boardwalk Seahawks Pathfinder Club and Marching Drum Corps.

“Pin Trading,” he bellows. “Pin Trading.”

Pin trading is the art of buying, selling and trading collectible themed pins. Veteran pin traders often seek rare, large, or unique pins that spin, open or have moving parts. In exchange, they offer smaller, less valuable pins. Sometimes pin traders can make a deal. When two veterans  square off, if they seem to like each other, they figure out a fair trade. But at other times, they inspect each other’s wares, negotiate for a few minutes and depart from each other with a head nod and an “I’m good.”  That’s pin trader code for no deal.

Jyheem and Atlantic City Focus Teen Tech Writer L.L. Tyler from the Boardwalk Seahawks were among more than 60,000 Pathfinders who attended the Believe the Promise, International Camporee in Gillette, WY from August 5, 2024, through August 11, 2024. 

Jyheem wasn’t a big fan of pin trading – until he got into it. “I like to see other people with pins. I like to see what they’ve got,” said Jyheem. “I like to trade them.”

Unique Believe the Promise themed pins were the commodity at the camporee. Additionally, custom Pathfinder club pins command respect on the pin trading market. Jyheem and L.L. collected international pins from Tanzania, Canada, Brazil, Jamaica and a host of other countries. They traded limited edition Atlantic City Boardwalk Seahawks club pins for club pins from as far away as Texas and as close as Teaneck, NJ.

“We got pins from all over.” Jyheem said. “But those are in our non-trading collection.” The two worked as a team. Jyheem initiated the transactions. L.L. monitored the negotiations. “I just made sure he didn’t get scammed,” L.L. said. “People will take your good pins and try to stick you with something sus (suspect). And sometimes he’s a little too generous with the pretty girls.”

The Boardwalk Seahawks are affiliated with the Boardwalk Community Fellowship Church. Their Pathfinder Club works with the Allegheny East Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which is a sub-division of the Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Columbia Union Conference President Marcellus T. Robinson and Columbia Union Executive Secretary Celeste Ryan Blyden both attended the camporee. Blyden came with her family. Robinson said he comes to such events to support the young people. Although they didn't run into Jyheem and L.L., they both did a little pin trading. Blyden got pins from South Korea and Robinson gave pins to a club from Maryland.

Robert T. Smith, PhD, director of Adventist Community Services for Allegheny East, who is the former pastor of Boardwalk Community Fellowship, said the Pathfinder ministry provides a great opportunity for young people to grow and develop. “Jyheem started in Pathfinders when he was a little boy. He came up through the ranks and now to see him come into his own and continue to come to camporees just does my heart good,” said Smith.

“I haven’t missed a camporee in 40 years," Smith continued. "In Atlantic City, the Pathfinders and the community services work together, and it shows that ministry isn’t confined to four walls. Doing things to impact the community outside the church is just as important as all the ministries that take place inside the church.”

Pathfinders from around the globe descended on Gillette and completed various community service projects. Smith said Pathfinders donated more than 40,000-man hours to the Gillette community. “They did car washes, worked in community garden boxes and assisted the Red Cross,” Smith said. “You name it, and those kids did it.”

Thomas Monk, of Philadelphia, who has been a member of the Pathfinder Organization since 1974 and a local club director of the Ebenezer Warriors Pathfinder Club of Philadelphia for 21 years stated, “The Pathfinder Organization is a youth ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church that is dedicated to assisting young people between the ages of 10 to 17 years of age in recognizing the importance of establishing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ at their earliest stages of life,”.

The camporee was organized by the Center for Youth Evangelism, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. International camporees are held once every five years. The next camporee, Stand Strong is scheduled to be held again in Gillette, Wy in 2029.

Will Jyheem and L.L. be there in five years? “I don’t know,” Jyheem said.  “But if we’re out there, we’ll be trading.”

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