Roger Carpenter will be honored during the Oak Harbor Apple Festival for serving as a scoutmaster for 75 years. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

OAK HARBOR – One of most enduring traditions at the Oak Harbor Apple Festival is the Boy Scouts apple butter sales. This year, the most endearing person behind Boy Scout Troop 316, Roger Carpenter, will be honored during this year’s festival. Carpenter will be recognized during a Saturday, Oct. 11 ceremony for serving as Troop 316’s scoutmaster for 75 years.

“Roger is believed to be the longest-serving scoutmaster in the nation,” said Scoutmaster Roger Minier. “He is still an active scoutmaster, even though he’s 97. Three weeks ago, he repaired the log splitter we use to split wood to make the apple butter, and he participated in a campout last weekend.”

Carpenter will be presented with a service award and a flag flown over the U.S. Capital. All current and former scouts are encouraged to come in uniform to join the public in viewing the ceremony, which will be held on the main stage at 1 p.m. They are also invited to walk with Carpenter during the Apple Festival Grand Parade, which begins at 2 p.m.

“It’s going to be a bit of a show on the main stage,” Minier said. “A guitar player will sing traditional camp songs at 12:30 before the ceremony, and we’ll have a brief singalong right before 1.”

Area leaders will give remarks, and Carpenter will talk briefly about his long journey as a scoutmaster.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony honoring Carpenter on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. on the main stage of the Oak Harbor Apple Festival.