By Mike Goodson/Messenger Correspondent
The Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday (Apr. 21) honored four local residents for their contributions to scouting in the Etowah County area at the organization’s annual Great American Values Dinner at the Gadsden Museum of Art.
Receiving the “Heart of the Eagle Award” were Peter Gregerson, Janet Gregerson, Larry Means and Clarence Daugette. These individuals were recognized for both their contributions to their community and the Boy Scouts of America.
Peter and Janet Gregerson moved to north Alabama from Clinton, Iowa, in 1968 and opened Gregerson’s Warehouse Groceries, which grew into a chain of stores. Five stores were in Etowah County for more than 30 years.
A Birmingham native, Daugette is a graduate of Gadsden High School and Jacksonville State University. He worked in banking and later for Life Insurance of Alabama, which his father founded in 1952. Daugette became the company’s vice president in charge of investments in 1979, and president in 1987. Daugette obtained the rank of Eagle Scout and maintains his ties with the Boy Scouts of America by serving on the Eagle Scout Board of Review.
Means is mayor of the City of Attalla, a job he held from 1992 to 1998 and regained in 2012. Means served three terms in the State Senate and was honored as Legislator of the Year by both state employees and senior citizens for his work in their interest. He was named JSU Alumnus of the Year in 2009 and received the CITY Peter Gregerson Award in 2005 and the Keep Etowah Beautiful Award in 2006.
The keynote speaker for the evening was former Auburn University head football coach Pat Dye. During his interview for the head coaching job at Auburn, Dye was asked by a member of the search committee, “How long will it take you to beat Alabama?” Dye’s reply was, “60 minutes.”
At Auburn, Dye achieved a record of 99–39–4 over 12 seasons. Dye’s autobiography, “In The Arena,” written with John Logue, was published in 1992.
The annual event raised more than 91 percent of the scouts’ budget for the upcoming year. Event sponsors included Life of Alabama Insurance, Riverview Regional Medical Center, Ronnie Watkins Ford, Dr. George Fant, Greater Gadsden Home Builders Association, City of Gadsden and The Chamber, Gadsden and Etowah County.