Pathfinders

LBP Union Pathfinders
Leaders	Captains Penny, sudokoko
Founded	March 11, 2021
Defunct	July 4, 2025
Parent	Ministry of Security (2021-2025), Ministry of Inspiration (2025)

The LBP Union Pathfinders were a former branch of the LBP Union responsible for community engagement. The team was unique in that they were deeply connected to LBP Union's moderation team, yet had no access to exact moderation actions. The team was discontinued on July 4, 2025.

History

Foundation

The Pathfinder team was founded on March 11, 2021. Lead Protector m88youngling made this announcement:

I am looking for people interested in becoming moderators. We have two tiers: chat moderators called Pathfinders and full moderators called Peacekeepers. You can apply to help us out here (link). Why moderate for our server? It's a great way to stay engaged and give back to the community. I'd like the team to not just be focused on enforcing rules and beating people over the head with big sticks. I'd like us to work toward making this a fun, active, and positive community during these trying times. Please shoot me a message if you have any questions

Following several applications, numerous Pathfinders were appointed within a week of the announcement. On March 13, m88youngling shared an an internal announcement at LBP Union addressed to the Pathfinder team which advised them on several topics:

• Objective: the Pathfinder team's goal is to make the Discord server a "safe, fun, and engaging environment."
• Rules: reminders that Pathfinder conduct reflects upon the entire team, and that team members should have a consistent username/nickname.
• Conduct: a reminder to not be a voice of authority, and that the Pathfinder team's goal is instead to direct community members to the resources they need to succeed.

In that same message, m88youngling also shared some strategies for completing those objectives:

• Conversationalism: encouraged helping people by talking to them and directing them to resources they might need.
• Escalation: if further action is needed, Pathfinders are to escalate in the #pathfinders Discord channel so that moderators could take action.

Community Wellness Initiative

The Pathfinder team was presented to the public as being a part of the Community Wellness Initiative. On April 10, 2021, LBP Union published a blog post on LBPUnion.com which described the purpose of the Pathfinder team, the new Discord server directory, and the Wix forum. It suggested a unique role for the Pathfinder team:

Instead, Pathfinders on the LBP Union Discord server do not have any moderation powers. They are not police. Instead, they serve as guides and resources for the community. They help encourage members to move to the appropriate channels, remind them of where they can find the rules, and elevate serious issues to our moderation team. Without moderator powers, Pathfinders must find other ways to help keep a better atmosphere on our Discord server. Server members also feel more comfortable engaging with them because they know that they are there to help them, not to berate them for making a mistake.

According to the blog post, this approach was much different from how other LBP Discord communities operated at the time. It explained how many users can feel that they are treated unfairly by moderation processes, and that the mere presence of users with moderation powers can be intimidating:

As part of the Community Wellness Initiative, the Pathfinder program is an alternative to this traditional method. When we emphasize safety, security, and fairness, the first image that comes to your mind is a police officer. However, there is a problem here: law enforcement officers have power. If that power is used inappropriately, it can create serious problems. The same can be applied to moderators. With the ability to kick, ban, and mute others, it’s no surprise that server members often feel nervous or afraid to speak up to raise their concerns to moderators.

The Pathfinder team was founded to alleviate this problem by providing the community with someone to talk to that didn't have those powers that might be used against them.