Scouts honor Clayton couple for dedication

Couple steps aside from troop after 22 years.

For Kenny and Alice Riancho, the Boy Scouts was more than a family activity. It became a way of life.

For more than 20 years, the couple participated in Troop 325 out of Englewood/Clayton, first as parents of a scout and continuing as volunteers after son, Alan, was grown.

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“To be successful, it takes people like Kenny and Alice. They did the job, and over and beyond,” said John Combs, former Scout Master of Troop 325.

He was among those who saluted the Rianchos at a surprise celebration when the couple this year decided to step aside from the troop after 22 years of service.

Kenny Riancho’s scouting experience began as a Cub Scout in a family where mom was a den mother and his father an assistant scout master.

“It was very important to me. I learned a lot through scouting. Some of the things you pick up are skills you use in life, such as First Aid,” he said. “I really tried to emphasize that through the years with our Boy Scouts.”

When their son brought home information on a scouting meeting when he was in first grade, he and his dad headed out to the meeting. Dad agreed to help with the troop and it wasn’t long before mom, too, became involved behind the scenes. “We always worked together for the Cub Scout pack,” Alice Riancho said.

The Rianchos, who live in Clayton, were recognized for numerous contributions to scouting. Alice was described as a behind the scenes worker who helped with Courts of Honor, planning for CPR and first aid training, recognizing adult leaders with gifts at Courts of Honor and serving as camping chairperson. In the latter, she would make camping reservations, print driving route maps, fill out required tour permits, find drivers and check vehicle insurance information. Kenny was praised for his recording keeping along with serving on more than 250 scout boards of review and assisting 44 scouts in obtaining Eagle rank.

The Rianchos taught scouts how to snow ski and led numerous trips for young men, many who continue to ski today, Combs said.

“As a team, Kenny and Alice have done some amazing things,” he said.

“It is a really good group of people. That is why we stayed involved well past our son,” Alice Riancho said.

“Scouting becomes a part of you. It will be there forever,” Kenny Riancho said.

For the Rianchos, working with Troop 325 created a lifetime of friendships and memories. “All in all, it was a good trip,” the Rianchos said together, with big smiles.

Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.

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