[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 177 (Friday, October 24, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING ROGER CARPENTER'S 75 YEARS OF SERVICE AS SCOUTMASTER OF 
                      TROOP 316, OAK HARBOR, OHIO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 24, 2025

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a truly remarkable 
American, Mr. Roger Carpenter of Oak Harbor, Ohio, who just celebrated 
an extraordinary milestone: seventy-five years of service as 
Scoutmaster of Troop 316.
  Seventy-five years, that's three-quarters of a century of guiding, 
teaching, and uplifting generations of young people. Shaping their 
character, their sense of service, and their love for community. Few 
can say they have given so much of themselves, for so long, to a single 
purpose. But Roger Carpenter can. And he has done so with a humble 
heart, steadfast faith, and a pair of calloused hands that never stop 
building, fixing, or helping.
  At 97 years young, Roger remains active with his troop, recently 
repairing the very log splitter used to make the Scouts' famous apple 
butter. This tradition has warmed both hearts and bellies at the Oak 
Harbor Apple Festival for decades. This festival, itself a celebration 
of community spirit, fittingly chose this year to honor Roger for his 
life of selfless service.
  He is believed to be the longest-serving Scoutmaster in our nation's 
history. But beyond the record books, his impact is written in the 
lives of the hundreds, more likely perhaps thousands, of young men he 
has mentored. Many of them have gone on to serve their country, their 
neighbors, and their families with the same quiet strength they learned 
under his guidance.
  During this year's festival, we presented Roger with a flag flown 
over our United States Capitol as a symbol of the deep gratitude we 
hold for his unwavering devotion to the values that Scouting and 
citizenship share: duty, honor, leadership, and service.
  As we constantly reflect on what it means to build a strong America, 
we must look to people like Roger Carpenter. Those who invest in 
others, who give without seeking recognition, and who, year after year, 
live the ideals they teach. His life is a testament to what one 
dedicated citizen can do to shape the moral fabric of a community and a 
nation.
  So today, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives and 
the people of Northwest Ohio, I extend our deepest congratulations and 
gratitude to Scoutmaster Roger Carpenter for 75 years of remarkable 
leadership, for his enduring spirit, and for reminding us all that 
service to others is the truest form of patriotism.
  I thank Roger for being a living example of the Scout Oath and Law 
and for inspiring us all to leave this world a little better than we 
found it.

                          ____________________