How ‘bout Them Cowboys!

Since 2001, the men of Pi Chapter at Oklahoma State University have been honored to host the Alpha Gamma Rho Winter Bonanza, one of the largest cattle shows in the state of Oklahoma. This past December, we carried on that tradition and had one of our best shows yet. Winter Bonanza is one of Oklahoma’s premier jackpot shows, but it has a lot more to offer.

Over the years, Pi Chapter has been blessed to continue to grow the size and impact of our show. This past December was more of the same. Winter Bonanza is a threeday show that consists of three main events. The first day is always dedicated to our event named “Heart of a Champion.” During Heart of a Champion, we invite children from local schools with special needs and the OSU Opportunity Orange program to participate in showing smaller livestock, such as sheep and goats. Each child is paired with a member, who works with them for" showmanship in the ring. While they participate in the ring, members of Sigma Alpha hold up signs that have been personalized for each exhibitor. It is not a competition, the children get to show livestock, hang out with the school’s mascot, Pistol Pete, and spend a day immersed in agriculture with the members of Pi Chapter.

The following two days consist of the steer and heifer shows. Both shows offer the opportunity to show in two rings in front of two separate judges, with tack boxes, belt buckles, and banners on the line as prizes. On top of this, each exhibitor can compete to win cash prizes and afterwards is given the option to donate 10% of their winnings back to our philanthropy. Over the last two decades, we have built a strong rapport in the Oklahoma show community, not only because of our well maintained and organized show, but also because of the lasting impact we make in local communities.

Within the past decade, Alpha Gamma Rho’s Winter Bonanza formed a coalition with the school's Student Government Association to create a collection of free food pantries on campus exclusively for Oklahoma State Students. Since its creation, we donate annually to ensure every pantry is always fully stocked. Pi Chapter also donated a portion of this year's proceeds towards an endowed scholarship with the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

We take great pride in Alpha Gamma Rho’s Winter Bonanza and ensuring it remains the largest philanthropic event of any IFC Fraternity at OSU. Winter Bonanza is much more than a livestock show- it’s a way for the men of Pi Chapter to make dynamic change in the world around them through agriculture. As we look towards the future, we cannot wait to see the fruits of our continued service towards those around us!

—Ethan Bush, Noble Ruler

Missouri

107th Founder’s Day Celebration

Theta Chapter at the University of Missouri celebrated its 107th Founder's Day on April 15th, 2023, by welcoming a new brother into the brotherhood.

At the Bradford Research Farm at Columbia, Missouri, Tony Benz, Program Deputy Director of the Missouri Fertilizer Control Board, was initiated and joined the Fraternity.

Founders’ Day concluded with a scholarship banquet with brothers, family, and friends at Theta Chapter house. At the dinner, more than $10,000 in scholarships was awarded. An additional $6,000 was raised during the live auction to support the outstanding undergraduate brothers of Theta Chapter.

ETA CHAPTER Iowa State University

Accolades and Awards in Ames

From the start of the 2022 year, the men of Eta Chapter at Iowa State University pursued excellence through success. Our extravagant year as a chapter can be highlighted and proven by the two large recognitions our chapter brought to Ames, Iowa in 2022. The fi rst is Iowa State University's Sorority and Fraternity Community President's Cup Award. As the President's Cup winner, we were recognized as the top chapter in all the sorority and fraternity community at Iowa State University. Beyond our involvement on campus, we were also recognized for our stellar year on the National AGR level, as we were named the top chapter in the country by taking home the Maynard. H. Coe Chapter E ciency Award. These awards are a true testament to each of our members' dedication and commitment to excelling at elite levels in all that we do.

To highlight and explain a few of our chapter's large events and successes can be attributed back to the brotherhood within the chapter. Each brother expects to be involved in our chapter activities and the surrounding community. This member engagement led us to host three record-breaking philanthropy events, possess numerous leadership positions on campus, hold two large university faculty events, be heavily involved with Iowa State Homecoming and Greek Week traditions, and always strive To Make Better Men every day. While highlighting every part of our successful year is hard, a few of our most proud events revolve around philanthropy. Our fi rst philanthropy in 2022 was Wings on Rho. Through this philanthropy event, we served chicken wings to 300 guests, which raised more than $3,000 for the food pantry on our campus. Our next philanthropic event, Agger Fries, was another great success. We served fried food to 723 Iowa State University students and Ames, Iowa community members, which raised roughly $4,000 for Farm Rescue.

Beyond our philanthropy, servant leadership is a common trait of many of our members. Within our chapter membership, every one of our hundred members holds a leadership position amongst the university or the surrounding community. Serving those around us is a trait we are very proud of and continue to build upon every year. Every aspect of our chapter ties back to a common bond of brotherhood in agriculture. Our members aim to impact the agriculture industry now and in the future. Having that common goal pushes us to strive for excellence in all we do and equip us to be leaders in the future.

Nathan Behrends, Noble Ruler

ALPHA DELTA CHAPTER Montana State University

Brothers in Bozeman

Greetings from the brothers of Alpha Delta Chapter at Montana State University. This spring, we had three brothers participate at the Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar in Denver: Ty Herzog, Jack Stephens, and Jack Yore. Brother Ty has excelled as the Vice Chairman of the Collegiate Advisory Council. The brothers of Alpha Delta Chapter hold a wide variety of leadership positions across campus, including President of the Collegiate Stockgrowers, O cers in Ducks Unlimited, Ambassadors for the College of Agriculture, Senators for the Associated Students of Montana State University, and Tour Guides for the university. Our presence in Bozeman, Montana, is strong and helps To Make Better Men.

Our chapter brought in two new members this spring. While this is lower than previous semesters, the new brothers show strong promise to be great leaders within the chapter in the future. With the newly initiated members, Alpha Delta Chapter reached a total of 66 undergraduate members. The chapter is already actively recruiting for the fall and is excited to see what a new freshman class at Montana State University brings to campus.

Alpha Delta Chapter was excited to return to Big Timber, Montana, for Pink Rose! On May 6, we had our second annual Alpha Gamma Rodeo, featuring live music, a mechanical bull, chicken roping, and a great time. We are also pleased to announce this fall brings another Testicle Festival, which will be located inside the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on campus for the third year. Last year, from Testicle Festival alone, we were able to donate more than $17,000 to Montana 4-H, FFA, Heroes and Horses, and the YMCA. We would like to thank all of you for your continuous support and wish all of you the best of luck this summer.

—Jack Stephens, Noble Ruler