Pictures often are used to describe words.

“Today, I looked up ‘parallelogram’ in the dictionary, and there was a picture of it,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “Then I looked up ‘platypus,’ and there was a picture of it.

“Next, I flipped over to ‘leadership,’ and lo and behold, next to it was a picture of Seth Hammett.”

Johnson was hosting the Boy Scouts’ annual fundraiser, the Golden Eagle Dinner, at which Hammett was to have been the honoree Thursday night. But Hammett’s father, Marvin Hammett, died on Thursday morning and the longtime speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives was with his family instead.

“Seth has exemplified leadership for many, many years in Covington County and in the state of Alabama,” Johnson said, adding that Hammett has an “incredible public record.”

Johnson said Hammett is “kind, soft-hearted, loves people and loves his family.”

“He is a good friend and he’s always there when you need him,” he said.

“I don’t think he ever was a Boy Scout,” Johnson said, adding that Hammett grew up in Rose Hill. “But he holds up to every ideal of Boy Scouting.”

The event raised $14,700 for scouting.

Platinum sponsors were Southeast Alabama Gas District and Walt and Hannah Merrell; gold sponsors were PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and James Gang Amusements; silver sponsors were Morgan Keegan; Bob and Denise Brooks; CDG Engineers and Associates, Inc.; David and Laura Darby; Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce; Andalusia Ford; Allstate Insurance – Chris Jackson; Laird, Baker and Blackstock – David Baker; and Southeast Cardiology Clinic – Dr. Nelson Gwinn.

Table hosts were Matt Mancil, Mike Jones, David Darby, Walt Merrell, Greg Gambril, Johnson, Bob Brooks and Greg Henderson.