Brundidge Rotarian Don Dickert has been honored with the Brundidge Rotary Club Scholarship by the family of the late Donald Johnston Jr.
In a presentation to Fernan (Verdi) Johnston and the Johnston family, Lawrence Bowden said it was Donald Johnston’s desire to name the Brundidge Rotary Scholarship in honor of Deckers. The family was carrying out Johnston’s wishes.
Bowden said Deckert, a Brundage business owner, has a long record of dedicated service to the city, community and his church.
“Don is a Brundage mayor and a longtime double businessman,” Bowden said. After graduating from college, Don worked in the Alabama attorney general’s office before returning home and establishing a private law firm. Don grew up in the family’s timber business and still has sawdust in his hair. Therefore, he managed, and continues to run, a dual career which includes practicing law and running a lumber yard here in town.”
Bowden said Deckert, a longtime active member of the Brundidge Rotary Club, has served in several leadership roles, including club president and president of the club’s annual scholarship program.
Don is also a major character in the city’s official folk life play, ‘Come Home, It’s Dinner Time’ and a staunch supporter of the arts. He is a life member of the Brundidge United Methodist Church and serves on church boards and is also a Sunday School class teacher. I don’t know anyone worthy of Get a scholarship in his honor more than Don Deckert.”
Bowden said that Donald Johnston Jr. never forgot his hometown and those who supported and encouraged him along the way.
“Donald Jr. knew the value of an education and allocated funds to support both the Brundidge Rotary Club and the BUMC Scholarships,” Bowden said. “He also understood the importance of hard work and that was the basis of his success in the business that took him to Maryland and Georgia before returning to his home country of Alabama where he was CEO of the Boyd Brothers Transportation Company in Clayton. Under his leadership, the company grew into the largest flatbed truck in the state” .
Deckert said he was both honored and humbled by the award of the Rotary Scholarship in his name.
“I am flattered and grateful to be recognized in this special way,” Deckert said. Donald and his family have been very generous in supporting our scholarship program over the years. They made up a huge part of what we do in terms of scholarships every year.”
Deckert said the Rotary Scholarship program has grown rapidly in the past three to four years.
“It’s partly because of what the Donald Johnston family has done, along with the support of club members,” Deckert said. “Last year, we were not able to organize any fundraising events due to COVID, so club members came out of their pockets so that our club could maintain the number of scholarships awarded by the club.”
Deckert said the family of Donald Johnson has lent their support to this endeavour.
“The family have always been supporters of the Brundidge Rotary Club Scholarship Program and we cannot thank them enough. I cannot thank them enough for this recognition.”
