Honorees pose with sponsors and Pell City Boy Scouts. (L-R) Elmer Harris, Bill Hereford, Tommy Bowers, Pell City Boy Scouts, James McGowan, and Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt. Photo by Urainah Glidewell.

The Three River District of the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America hosted the Pell City Mayor’s Breakfast to honor two local Pell City residents, St. Clair County Commissioner Tommy Bowers and Pell City City Council President James Oliver McGowan on March 14.

Bowers and MGowan were the recipients of the Heart of an Eagle Award, given to “deserving individuals who have demonstrated leadership, character, and integrity in their service to the community, their profession, and their country.” The award is unique to the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which encompasses twenty-two northern counties in Alabama. The Three Rivers District serves East Jefferson and St. Clair Counties.

The awards were presented by Judge Bill Hereford, Friends of Scouting Co-Chairman. “[Bowers] is a wonderful honoree. This is long overdue,” Hereford said in his introductions. “James [McGowan] has done a lot of great things in our community. He is a big part of the progress that has been made in this town over the years.”

“I would like to thank the Boy Scouts. They do an outstanding job, as all Scouts do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate this award and appreciate the Scouts.” Tommy Bowers stated while accepting the Heart of an Eagle Award.

“This is a great honor,” stated James McGowan, who is also a St. Clair County Deputy Sheriff. “I don’t do it for the recognition. I do it for the community. I have always worked hard, and I think those in leadership should work hard. I thank the Scouts for being able to make this happen and thank everyone for being here.”

Bowers served for 13 years in the Alabama Army National Guard. He began working at Alabama Power Company in 1971 and worked his way from laborer to local manager of Pell City in 1989. He also became Local Manager of Ashville in 2006. He retired from Alabama Power Company in 2014 after 43 years of service. In 2014, Bowers was appointed by the Alabama governor to serve as St. Clair County Commissioner of District 3, completing the term of the previous official. In 2016, Bowers was voted to continue in that position.

James Oliver McGowan first ran for public office in 1984. McGowan was the first black city councilman in Pell City and has served on the city council for 28 years. In began his career in education in 1976 as a telecommunications instructor at the John Pope Eden Career Technical Center in the St. Clair County School System. After retiring from education, McGowan went through over 400 hours of training at the police academy and became a St. Clair County Deputy Sheriff. He is currently the Pell City City Council President.

“We recognized [McGowan and Bowers] for their leadership in the community and their involvement with kids. They are outstanding leaders among their peers,” Anthony Edwards, the Three Rivers District Executive stated. “I would also like to thank the volunteers, attendees, Elmer Harris and Bill Hereford, our Co-Friends of Scouting Chairmen, for all of their involvement.”

The Pell City Mayor’s Breakfast was able to raise $9,725 locally, which Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt said, “The amount raised will come back ten-fold by raising these future leaders.”

John Rea, attorney for the City of Pell City and partner at Trussell, Funderburg, Rea, & Bell, P.C was the keynote speaker for the event. “There is a history of community-minded people in Pell City,” he stated in his address. “I am inspired by the Boy Scout Oath, ‘On my honor I will do my best..’ To me that means a guarantee of performance to give my maximum effort in everything that we do.”

If you would like to learn more about the Boy Scouts of America visit www.scouting.org or to donate you can give online at www.1bsa.org.