POULSBO — The Baccalaureate Mass for outgoing North Kitsap High School graduates has been a tradition at North Kitsap High School for as long as Pastor Duncan Forbes can remember.

“I believe the baccalaureate has taken place in North Kitsap since the inception of the high school,” he said.

Forbes, who’s the Head of the Youth Pastor’s Association and youth pastor at North Kitsap Baptist Church, is in charge of this year’s event.

The baccalaureate is scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at First Lutheran Church on 3rd Avenue in Poulsbo.

Forbes hopes a large audience is in attendance for the event and expects between 250-300 people to attend.

“Everyone is welcomed,” he said. “If we run out of chairs it will be an awesome problem to have.”

The service gives members of the community a chance to congratulate outgoing seniors and honor them for their achievements.

“It’s a time to address the entire class of graduates,” Forbes said. “Various members of the community will address them and give them words of encouragement for the future. We appreciate all they have done during their time in high school.”

Kitsap County Director of Young Life Lance Klopp will be the featured guest speaker and will join Forbes in wishing great things for the class of 2007.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what they can do,” he said. “We’re hoping they become mature adults who become successful and fulfill their responsibilities in society. We hope they take that step forward in whatever they decide to do in the future and be successful.”