Local Boy Scout receives first ever Distinguished Community Neighbor Award from Commissioner Charlie Riley

THE WOODLANDS, TX – At the most recent session of Montgomery County Commissioners Court, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley was proud to bestow a special award on a local high school student for an incredibly brave act.

Three years ago, Kristian Rau – who was a 14-year-old student of Bear Branch Junior High at the time – stopped a school tragedy from occurring.

According to Riley, “Kristian was sitting in the school bleachers when he noticed two other boys arguing over a basketball. The situation escalated; one boy went to his backpack, took out a pair of scissors, separated them in half so that at that point it was a knife, and chased after the other kid and cornered him in the storage closet. Kristian sprang from the bleachers past many student onlookers to catch the boy with the weapon. As Kristian approached the boy at the scene, the boy raised the knife into a stabbing position over the other boy. Kristian controlled him by grabbing his wrist, allowing the intended victim a chance to escape, then he locked the aggressor in the closet,” he said, the last few words bringing appreciative laughter to the dozens of attendees packed into the court.

Now three years later as a 17-year-old student at Magnolia High School, Rau had already recently received one of the rarest of all Boy Scouts of America medals and awards that can be presented: The Honor Medal with Crossed Palms. This medal has been awarded only three times a year on average throughout the whole nation, since 1911. The medal recognizes a Boy Scout youth or adult who has demonstrated unusual heroism, extraordinary skill, resourcefulness, and saving or attempting to save a life at extreme risk to self.

“This is what this young man has done,” said Riley. “So Precinct 2, Montgomery County is going to award him – we have been trying to figure out what we are going to do to honor people over in our precinct – so we are going to present him with the first ever Distinguished Community Neighbor in Precinct 2 Award this morning. So I would like to say congratulations to Kristians and his family and all the Boy Scouts.”

Rau, his parents, and fellow Scoutmembers stood with him as he accepted his award and proclamation. “Kristian saved two people that day – saving the first boy from any injury while also saving the second boy from making a huge mistake that possibly would have followed him for the rest of his life,” said Riley.

Kristian accepted the accolades and applause with grace and modesty. To him, being a Scout is an extreme honor. “I’ve been in Boy Scouts for a very long time, since I joined as a Cub Scout. I’m on my way to Eagle Scout; I’m currently a Life Scout, and that’s one step before Eagle. To achieve that, it takes commitment, and takes years to make Eagle Scout – you can’t just ‘get there’ – it takes hard work.”

Kristian’s mother, Dariece Rau, told Woodlands Online, “I’m extremely proud of my son.” When asked what she thought would come next for her son, she replied, “Right now, he’s working hard to gain the rank of Eagle Scout; after that, I’m sure he’ll be looking hard at colleges and what he wants to do after graduation.”