The 64th Paul M. Grist Boy of the Year Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

The Paul M. Grist Boy of the Year Award started in 1949 to honor Selma and Dallas County’s most outstanding boy. The award is based on strength of character, integrity, honesty, academic achievement, discipline and leadership.

Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the YMCA, located at 1 YMCA Drive, Selma. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so the last day to purchase tickets will be Tuesday, March 14.

The award was named in honor of Dr. Paul M. Grist, who was born in Marietta, Ga. in 1898 and came to the Selma YMCA in 1919, serving as its physical director until 1934 when he was then named general secretary (CEO or director) until 1964 when he retired.

Grist was integral in further developing the YMCA in Selma, including Camp Grist, and received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from the University of Alabama, and was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.

The keynote speaker for the annual banquet will be Dr. Jerry M. Henry.

Henry served as pastor at Elkdale Baptist Church in Selma for 15 years and is now pastor at First Baptist Church in Fairhope. Henry is a Selma native and grew up at the YMCA. He is a Christian leader and family man with a heart for others.

He enjoys preaching, teaching, writing and ministering to those in the community. While ministering in Selma he taught philosophy and ethics at Wallace Community College. He was also involved with many different committees and boards throughout Selma.

Henry holds three decades of pastoral service, a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a master’s and doctoral degree from Southwest Baptist Seminary. He has taught at Judson College, Samford University and the University of Mobile.

Henry and his wife, Susan, have three children and seven grandchildren.