ASHLAND – The Ashland Elks will be bringing back Elks Sports Day this summer after a three-year hiatus with an honoree who has been part of the program since the beginning.
George Stout, who has been on the Sports Day committee for 44 years including 26 as the chairman, will be feted June 17 at the Ashland lodge.
Nobody has put more into the beloved Sports Day program than Stout, who has been an Elks member for 72 years.
“Once I got to reading his resume, I thought, ‘My goodness! How has he not already been honored?’ He’s done an awfully lot,” said Mike Powell, the chairman of Sports Day. “I think he’s the perfect honoree as we restart everything.”
Stout, 94, has led a remarkable life of serving and being involved in sports in a variety of ways. While he wasn’t an athlete – aside from throwing a wicked bowling ball – Stout has been involved with high school sports through doing basketball and football programs through the years. He also worked 50 years at the Ashland Daily Independent (he refuses to call it anything else).
His programs have included the Ashland Invitational Tournament, NEKC Conference Tournaments, Russell Invitational Tournaments, Boyd County Holiday Classic tournaments, Fairview football, the Elks Sports Day, Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Games and 16th Region basketball tournaments. He was also the game director for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game from 1984-89 after serving on the Kentucky All-Star committee from 1979-1983.
He has been married to wife Jenny since 1960 and they have a daughter, Diane Anderson, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
As a nearly lifelong member of the Elks, Stout has been involved in the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners where he has delivered meals for decades.
Stout served as a trustee in the 1990s and was named Elk of the Year in 2011-2012. He was editor of the Elks bulletin in 1994-95. He is also a 73-year member of the Ashland Moose Lodge and a 53-year member of the American Legion Post 76. He served two years in the U.S. Army in 1950-51 and attended Ashland public schools. He currently serves as a board member of Sanitation District No. 2 of Boyd County.
Powell said the Elks wanted to restart the program after not having it since 2019 when Steve Towler was recognized. “I guess everybody was still coming out of COVID and they just didn’t feel like they could do it,” he said. “I’ve only been a member for about nine years but I’m glad to help them out with this if I can.”
George has asked me to speak for him at the banquet. It’s going to be a fun night.
Tickets will be on sale at the Elks Lodge, Sanitation District No. 2 and the Trophy House for $20. The reception starts at 6 p.m. and the event follows at 7 p.m.
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