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Investiture, the End of a Year, and Looking Toward New Horizons

6/7/2026

The SAILs held their Investiture Service on June 6, recognizing the accomplishments of the Pathfinders throughout the year. The SAIL Pathfinders led the special church service, received their new class rank, and displayed some of their accomplishments from the year. It has been a year of rebuilding - we began with all our gear destroyed in a fire, but that did not keep the club down. The SAILs helped clean up Lake Travis, they spread cheer and encouragement in downtown Austin, they built bat houses and bird feeders, made seed balls and spread butterflies for display, they studied and observed bats, watched birds in the Rio Grande Valley, held alligators in South Padre Island, visited caves in Texas and New Mexico, participated in the Pathfinder Bible Experience, ran a muddy obstacle course at the local camporee, surfed down sand dunes, ... and the list keeps going. It has been a busy year, but a fulfilling one. It is also a transition year. After five years, the SAILs will be welcoming a new director for the 2026-27 Pathfinder year!

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SAIL Senior unit Camping Report

6/3/2026

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The SAILs held their final campouts of the year at the end of May. The Junior Unit traveled to Colorado Bend State Park, the Senior Unit went to Monahans Sandhills State Park, with side trips to Odessa, TX and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We now review the Senior Unit Campout Report:

The SAIL Senior Unit headed out Thursday on the long drive to Monahans Sandhills State Park to camp by the dunes, sled down the dunes, and explore the geology and biology of the dunes. (Yes, the Senior Unit even worked on the Dunes honor). Setting up in soft sand required different tent stakes, but with the clear, warm weather, the unit also was able to leave the rainflies off the tents and enjoy sleeping under the stars.

On Friday, it was off to New Mexico to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park (just a little larger than the Junior Unit cave…), exploring the cave formations, as well as the New Mexico landscape. We saw butterflies and birds (to match the Pathfinder year theme), as well as guano (to get our bats in), and looked at how plants and animals adapt to a desert environment.

Saturday it was off to Odessa to visit the local church and meet their Pathfinder Club, as well as a visit to the Odessa Meteor Crater (the second largest known meteor crater in the country), where we learned about impact craters, and again had a chance to observe adaptation to xeric environments. Although the ground squirrels remained hidden, we did see some more lizards.

Back in Monahans, throughout the weekend the Senior Unit explored the dunes, how they formed, what lived on them, the variety of tracks, the night life, and of course took some time to go dune sledding and surfing. More information on their exploration of dunes will be loaded on the soon-coming Dunes Honor page.

Sunday morning it was up before the sun, packing up and heading back to Austin.

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SAIL Junior Unit Camping Report

6/3/2026

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The SAILs held their final campouts of the year at the end of May. The Junior Unit traveled to Colorado Bend State Park, the Senior Unit when to Monahans Sandhills State Park, with side trips to Odessa, TX and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We will begin with the Junior Unit Campout report:

“Lots of laughs and fun times… probably more than the senior unit…”

The SAIL Junior unit had a barrel of fun: worship, caving (in one of 200 navigable caves in the park), swimming in Spicewood Springs, fishing, roasting marshmallows, night games, and hiking Gorman falls! What a jammed-packed weekend!

Sunday was a challenge, waking up to a group of night ninja warriors raiding the camp’s dry foods including the pancake mix (breakfast!!!)… even with multiple staff reminders. BUT in true Pathfinder form and fashion, they overcame, learned some lessons and are all safe and back home. Great trip and God Bless!

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Investiture, the End of a Year, and Looking Toward New Horizons

SAIL Senior unit Camping Report

SAIL Junior Unit Camping Report

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