2022 SICKLE & SHEAF ➻ Spring

ENGAGEMENT

RETHINKING THE ALUMNI EXPERIENCE

THE MAGAZINE OF ALPHA GAMMA RHO AGRICULTURAL FRATERNITY

Why I Give: “Involvement: Time, Talent, and Money”

FOUNDATION DONOR: Martin Peterson

CHAPTER AND SCHOOL: Epsilon (North Dakota State)

LIVETIME GIVING LEVEL: Foundation

MARTIN PETERSON IS THE DEFINITION of an alumnus who continues to support the brotherhood in multiple aspects.

Peterson embraces the long winters of West Fargo, North Dakota, just as he does the Principles of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. The 2014 graduate of North Dakota State University (NDSU), in agricultural economics, values his experience and the opportunities resulting from involvement within the Fraternity.

During his time as an undergrad, Peterson was involved in the Epsilon Chapter serving as the VNR-Finance and VNR-Alumni Relations. After graduating from NDSU, Peterson pursued a career in banking before the current opportunity he has with the Steffes Group, an auction company based in Fargo, where he works in agriculture real estate.

During this transition in his professional life, Martin chose to become more connected to the brotherhood again, by stepping up to be a mem -

ber of the alumni board. He currently serves as President, overseeing the seven-man board, and actively working to influence members of the Epsilon Chapter.

“If I had to give other alumni advice, they [should] sign up to attend a Leadership Seminar, assist in Recruitment School, or attend National Convention to get involved.”

The alumni board, under Peterson, has adapted to the current technological opportunities, utilizing Zoom to connect with more alumni and offer an opportunity for additional involvement. Peterson’s dedication is apparent as he has attended the last four National Conventions, and advocates for the benefits National Convention offers to brothers.

YOUR PURPOSEFUL MISSION

Martin’s philosophy on staying engaged is to support organizations offering personal connections, outstanding opportunities and experiences aimed to shape people. Support isn’t always in the form of financial obligations, as offering your time or talents are incredibly valuable. He continues to support the brotherhood as Alpha Gamma Rho left a “lasting impact on my life and the connections gained through brotherhood with other men involved in agriculture ... far outweigh the obligations of financial support.”

Through AGR, Peterson has found career opportunities, lifelong friends and connections who have shaped him into the man he is today, which is why he continues to support Alpha Gamma Rho.

The mission of The Educational Foundation of Alpha Gamma Rho is to drive Alpha Gamma Rho’s Purpose of Making Better Men . YOUR contributions support scholarships, leadership development training and experiences, opportunities to make life-long connections and more. Every gift to the Foundation, YOUR Foundation, is an investment in the future and makes an impact in the lives of worthy brothers. We thank you for entrusting YOUR Foundation with YOUR gift. Make a gift today at alphagammarho.org/donate.

Support organizations offering personal connections, outstanding opportunities and experiences aimed to shape people.

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AG FLYERS

AG FLYERS

BROTHERS BOND TAKES OFF

SEEING A SUNRISE or a sunset is always a beautiful thing, but seeing it from a plane as it passes over an open crop field, adds a little something extra to the experience. Brother Ben Beaven of Alpha Theta Chapter at the University of Maryland grew up watching planes fly over his family farm to spray the crops every year. This sparked a strong interest in learning to fly ever since. It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school Ben realized flying planes was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. It just so happened, a fellow Alpha Theta Chapter brother was willing to mentor him as he worked towards getting his commercial pilot’s license.

During his junior year of high school, Ben got a job loading agriculture aircrafts and helping them prepare for takeoff. After graduating college, he started flight training and got his private pilot license. He then went on to get his commercial pilot’s license under the direction of Brother Mark Whalen of Alpha Theta Chapter.

“It started off as a mentorship situation where I would go out and he would fly with me in his airplane to coach me,”

“I have a lot of people who want to be ag pilots but when I tell them everything they've got to do ... you never see them again. But Ben was different.”

Mark first grew interested in flying in 1986 after attending national aerial application meetings for his job with Syngenta selling pesticides for crops. At that time, Brother Whalen was strictly flying personal aircrafts rather than for commercial purposes. It wasn’t until 2005, he invested in an agriculture aircraft and started to work towards a Part 137 application, which allows him to dispense pesticides over crops. He started flying agriculture planes full-time in 2015 after he retired from his previous job with Syngenta.

Brother Beaven reached out to Mark looking to work on getting a Part 137 application rather than loading planes. Mark instructed Ben on everything he would need to do to work towards his license and said he would like to see Ben complete the necessary tasks in a year.

“I have a lot of people who want to be aerial applicators, but when I tell them everything they must do, they kind of look at you, their eyes glaze over, and you never see them again,” Mark said. “But Ben was different. He came to me in August of 2020 and I told him all of the requirements and said ‘you know, if you can get all this done by the spring of 2021, I could get you into an airplane.’”

Mark said Ben completed those tasks in seven to eight months and came back ready to get to work. To continue his training in agricultural flying, Mark sent Ben to Riggin Flight Service in South Dakota as part of Mark’s flight curricular. After completing his schooling at Riggin Flight Service,

Ben was ready to fly agriculture planes.

Ben now helps Mark fly cover crop in Maryland to sequester excess nutrients in soil to prevent nutrient runoff into large water sources such as the Chesapeake Bay, and sprays crop protectants on wheat, corn and soybeans prior to the start of cover crop season.

“I really enjoy getting to serve the local farmers, and of course the flying aspect,” Ben said.

Ben attributes part of his career to the network of Alpha Gamma Rho, which led him to working with Mark. He said working with an AGR as a mentor made it easier to connect with each other despite their age difference.

The 67th Alpha Gamma Rho Convention is almost here!

Mark said it was very satisfying mentoring a younger AGR brother who had the same interests as him. He said he knew Ben’s work ethic would lead him to completing everything asked of him, but he did not anticipate Ben finishing everything as fast as he did. Ben is the first pilot to work with Mark, as Mark had previously been a one-man operation.

“It was a lot of fun watching him progress through those stages,” Mark said.

Don’t miss your opportunity to reconnect with brothers in person after four years. Although the pandemic put a kink in plans for the last National Convention, the Convention Advisory Team is working full speed ahead to tackle this year’s National Convention, which is surely one to be remembered.

Brothers will get to reconnect, as well as participate in various events and visit the sites of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

For more information and to register, please use the QR code at right.

“I really enjoy getting to serve the local farmers, and of course the flying aspect.”

2022 Grand President’s Award Winners

FOUR OUTSTANDING BROTHERS WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE 2022 ALPHA GAMMA RHO GRAND PRESIDENT’S AWARD.

Administered and nominated by a selection committee, the Grand President’s Award is given to AGR alumni, age 40 or younger, who have achieved success in their professional careers and made significant contributions to agriculture and Alpha Gamma Rho. The award demonstrates an honorable acknowledgement of the recipient’s exceptional brotherhood, leadership, professionalism and knowledge of his industry. Andy Fordice, Chris Loo ney, Seth Pratt and Todd Steinacher were recognized for their achievements during the Leadership Seminars held in February. During their acceptance speeches, they reflected on the opportunities AGR afforded them and the lessons they learned as undergraduates and beyond.

For more information, or to nominate a brother for a future award, visit alphagammarho. org/grandpresidentsaward

Andy Fordice

Andy Fordice was initiated into the Delta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho in 2002 where he graduated with dual majors in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Communications. Upon graduation in 2006, Andy started his career with Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva Agriscience) where he has held multiple sales and marketing leadership roles throughout his 16-year career. Andy has been intimately involved in the creation, launch and sales execution of several new brands in diverse segments of agriculture. Notably, Andy was the crop protection Portfolio Marketing Leader for Enlist herbicides prior to and through its launch which currently spans tens of millions of acres across soybeans, cotton and corn. Currently, Andy serves as the Area Digital Sales Leader for Corteva in Indiana and Illinois.

Andy, his wife Heidi, and their three kids Claire, Jack and Charlie reside in Zionsville, Indiana. While at Purdue, Andy served on the executive officer team for Delta Chapter as VNR-Planning, VNR-Membership Development and as the Risk Manager. He was also active on campus in many activities including time as the mascot, Purdue Pete.

Chris Looney ARKANSAS

Chris Looney is a Vice President, Relationship Manager for CoBank. He provides financing to agricultural cooperatives & businesses throughout Texas and Oklahoma and has worked for the farm credit system for nearly 15 years. He also participates in his family’s cow/calf and stocker operation located in Perry, Oklahoma.

Chris has served on the alumni board for the Alpha Iota Chapter since 2013 and has served as President since 2016. He was initiated into the Alpha Iota Chapter in 2001 and was elected to VNR-Planning and VNR-Scholarship officer roles. His family roots run deep in the Fraternity with his father, Dr. Charles Looney, being initiated in 1974 and his mother, Cathryn Looney, being an AGR Sweetheart in 1976.

Brother Looney enjoys connecting with AGR brothers from across the nation and believes in giving back to the Fraternity to foster the development of the men who go through our chapters.

Chris is from Bryan, Texas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas with Bachelor of Science degrees in animal science and agricultural economics in 2007. He received his master’s degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University in 2009. In his free time, he roots on his beloved Arkansas Razorbacks in all sports and spends time with his wife, Myriah, and 8 month old daughter, Sheridan, and currently lives in Lindsay, Texas.

The Grand President’s Award is presented to outstanding Fraternity alumni, age 40 or younger, who have achieved remarkable success in their professional careers and made great contributions to agriculture and Alpha Gamma Rho.

Corporate Partners

AGR is committed to offering opportunities to connect for members and corporations in the dynamic global agriculture and food industries. Thank you to our Corporate Partners for your support of our Purpose!

ELITE

Seth Pratt IDAHO

Seth Pratt was raised on a family farm in Idaho originally homesteaded by the Pratt Family in 1904. Seth was heavily involved in 4-H and then FFA. He also served as an officer at every level from the local chapter to the National FFA Organization.

While attending the University of Idaho, Seth worked for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences on alumni relations and fundraising. There, he joined the Beta Phi Chapter where he served twice as VNR-Recruitment, a role he remains passionate about today. Seth now serves on the chapter's alumni board.

His involvement with AGR also includes serving the National Fraternity through various task forces and was the main project lead on revisions made to the Brotherhood Program in 2018.

Since graduating in 2015 with a degree in agricultural economics he has held roles with The Context Network, DecisionNext, and Verdesian Life Sciences, where he is currently a Marketing Director. After living on both coasts, Seth moved back to Idaho where his time is dedicated to four things: family — wife Leah and daughter Emma, work for Verdesian, helping on the family farm, and getting time outdoors chasing cows, fish, or mountains. Seth credits Alpha Gamma Rho as the best leadership experience of his youth, and an invaluable lifelong network.

Todd Steinacher WESTERN

ILLINOIS

Todd Steinacher has been involved in production agriculture professionally since 2006, when he graduated from Western Illinois University (WIU). It was his time at Western Illinois University and membership with the Alpha Tau Chapter that helped to shape his passion for agronomy, leadership and service to the agriculture industry. It was several years later he realized he had more agronomic questions then answers and decided to obtain his master’s degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois.

As an undergrad, Todd was very involved in various department and university organizations like the agronomy club and agricultural council. As an undergradaute, he served as the VNR-Planning, VNR-Finance and Vice Noble Ruler.

For nearly a decade, Todd worked for Growmark in Agronomy Crop Input, sales, marketing and consulting before working for AgriGold from 2015 to 2021.

In 2019 he was invited to be a lead agronomist on an agriculture training project in Zambia, Africa, through the Illinois and International ROTARY organization. Todd was responsible for developing and presenting an agronomic training program, understanding regional challenges and developing agronomic Side-By-Sides so local farmers could see the value in the new management practices. This project is on-going and has brought on nearly 100 local farmers.

Todd currently serves on the Alpha Tau Alumni Board and served on the capital campaign fundraising project.

GOLD

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Bader Rutter College Fresh

SPONSOR

Campus Cooks

Want to see your company added to our list? Visit alphagammarho.org/corporatepartners for information on how to become a Corporate Partner.

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Alpha Gamma Rho: Social/ Professional Ag, Food, Fiber, & Life Sci. Fraternity

Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity

New Headquarters. Same Fraternity.

AGR CONTINUES TO MAKE BETTER MEN THROUGH MODERNIZATION

A HOME IS NOT A BUILDING, a building is just walls and a roof. A home is the people who choose to live amongst one another and share their day-to-day activities.

For nearly 40 years, Alpha Gamma Rho worked out of 10101 N. Ambassador Dr., Kansas City, Missouri. Although Alpha Gamma Rho has now left the Home Office that was built specifically for the Fraternity in 1987, our Fraternity has never been stronger. With our new location, the National Fraternity and The Educational Foundation have been able to work more efficiently.

The previous Home Office grew outdated and had accrued costly structural damages over time. It quickly became apparent either the building needed to be repaired or the Fraternity would need to move its headquarters. After careful consideration from both The Educational Foundation and Fraternity Boards, it was decided the National Fraternity should find a new home.

Above: The new AGR Home Office on NW Vivion Rd., Kansas City.

Left: Previous location of the Home Office for nearly 40 years.

“Our Home Office has given us a great work environment to serve all of our brothers,” CEO Rex Martin said. “As AGR changes and grows, our new Home Office needs to be more flexible and modern. We need more employees closer to our brothers and in the field.”

Since the building of the previous Home Office, the National Fraternity has installed roughly 17 chapters and initiated roughly 18,000 members over the course of 38 years.

Prior to the construction of the building, the first “Home Office” started in previous Grand President Sleeter Bull’s home, which later was moved to Executive Secretary, Maynard Coe’s basement.

In 1976, the Alpha Gamma Rho Home Office expanded and moved to a rented office in Des Plaines, Illinois, near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. That same year, Grand President at the time, Gene Lemon, created a committee to begin searching for a location for the

new National Headquarters. Fundraising for a new Home Office began at the 1978 National Convention. It would take 11 years and six Grand President terms to come to the the final decision to move to Kansas City, and have the funds to build their very own building.

The history in the previous Home Office building, various historical items exemplifying the importance of Alpha Gamma Rho, came to the new Home Office, which is located at 1333 NW Vivion Rd, Suite 110, Kansas City, Missouri 64118.

The new building has a smaller space but is functional for the number of staff working in it. The new office is also more modern, which was one of the requirements when the Fraternity was looking to move to from Illinois in the 1980s.

“The new Home Office provides a safe and flexible environment for Alpha Gamma Rho to strengthen its roots and grow across the nation,” Grand President Doug Griffin said. “With a Home Office that is fitting for our staff we can Make Better Men for many years to come.”

Located off of 69 Highway near Interstate 29, the new Home Office is only 13 minutes from Kansas City Airport, and seven minutes from Interstate 35, making it easy for visitors to access, another requirement that was asked when moving from Illinois in 1976.

The AGR Home Office Staff quickly settled into their new building, but still have some minor adjustments that come with being in a new place. Despite these adjustments, the innerworkings of Alpha Gamma Rho have steadily worked through this change because of the people the staff is comprised of.

We look forward to sharing our new Home Office with everyone this year! We thank you for your support.

“The new Home Office provides a safe and flexible environment for Alpha Gamma Rho to strengthen its roots and grow across the nation.”

— Grand President Doug Griffin

The New Old House

HOUSING CAMPAIGNS LEAD TO GRAND OPENINGS OF TWO AGR CHAPTER HOUSES

THIS YEAR, TWO ALPHA GAMMA RHO HOUSING CAMPAIGNS allowed Alpha Theta Chapter at the University of Maryland and Alpha Gamma Chapter at the University of Florida to complete houses. Alpha Theta Chapter held a grand re-opening of their chapter house in October 2021 after it’s redesign. Alpha Gamma Chapter also held a grand opening in January 2022 of their newly-built chapter house.

Both projects took years to plan and complete, but this fall brothers were able to move into their houses and celebrate the accomplishment of all of the hard work it took raising money and planning these projects.

The Alpha Theta Chapter house had gone 90 years without any serious renovations. It became apparent seven years ago changes needed to be made. Alumni jumped into action and began planning a housing campaign to raise funds for the necessary renovations needed for the chapter house. Unfortunately, once construction was underway, unforeseen costs began to crop up, leaving the chapter to seriously consider other fundraisers to make up the costs.

Brother Chris Cavey, an Alpha Theta Chapter alumnus who handled most of the communications for the project, said at the beginning of the project, The Educational Foundation of Alpha Gamma Rho released $30,000, but the rest of the funds needed to be raised by the chapter. The alumni board collaborated with Pennington & Company on some of their fundraising campaigns as well as organizing their own fundraisers.

“Based on what we were physically doing with the construction — like part of our construction was to raise a portion of our roof so we could create more room on the third floor … so one of our promotions we did was the 'Raise the Roof' promotion,” Chris said.

The chapter held similar themed fundraisers for different projects throughout the house including the staircase and kitchen remodel. Both projects had fundraisers tied to the original designs. The old staircases were turned into plaques to be sold. For the kitchen remodel, Chris found old dinner bells that resembled the dinner bell used at the Alpha Theta Chapter house and sold those as well to raise money for the kitchen renovations.

Chris said one of the Alpha Theta brothers also matched the funds raised up to $50,000 to help pay for construction costs.

Then COVID-19 hit, causing issues with the construction. The prices of materials went up and having multiple people working on the chapter house at once was not as easy due to mitigation policies. Thankfully, due to construction, the brothers living in the house were moving out anyway, so when the University of Maryland sent everyone home, it wasn’t a barrier to the project.

After the completion of the project, the Alpha Theta Chapter held a grand re-opening of the house with roughly 300 brothers in attendance and included Home Office staff and other guests. The event included an auction of items from the building and the chapter announced their first-ever Alpha Theta Hall of Fame. Six brothers were inducted.

Chris pointed out Brother Logan Yearsley, Alpha Theta Chapter’s House Director, as being an intricate part in coordinating information between the undergraduates and the alumni throughout the process.

Both Alpha Gamma Chapter (above) and Alpha Theta Chapter (top right) held grand opeinings of their houses, drawing large turnouts of members and their families to celebrate these great accomplishments.

Chris said Logan took care of any necessary business and attributed Brother Yearsley for the process going as smoothly as it did despite the various obstacles that stood in the way.

the chapter is actively seeking committed donors and is receiving positive responses. Brother Lester said it took some trial and error to figure out what worked best for Alpha Gamma’s housing campaign, but in the end, found that reaching out to donors in person has been the most effective. He said having the right person reach out and connect with a potential donor illustrates the importance of the housing campaign.

“Getting them to understand why a chapter house is so important was key to our housing campaign,” Brother Lester said.

Bernie explained that experimentation was key to their campaigns success and he encourages other chapters looking to start their own housing campaign to do the same.

Throughout the housing campaign, Alpha Gamma Chapter has worked closely with The Educational Foundation of Alpha Gamma Rho. The Foundation helped the chapter manage as well as keep records of the campaign.

Brother Reggie Brown was in charge of formulating a closing committee to help the chapter close the financial gap from where they were about a year into the campaign to their goal of $3.5 million.

Reggie and Brother Andrew Bible worked closely with The Educational Foundation and said The Foundation, aside from record keeping and correspondence, was another route for donors. Reggie said the chapter took a twopronged approach to their campaign, providing donors an opportunity to make a non-deductible donation or a tax-deductible donation.

“Any housing campaign will need a tax-free route,” Brother Brown said. “The Educational Foundation is made for that.”

He explained housing campaigns have several moving parts and can be difficult for one who does not work with these campaigns regularly to wrap their head around. The Educational Foundation was able to help the chapter keep track of all of those moving parts and still does as they continue to gather funds for their housing campaign to minimize the longterm mortgage.

Alpha Gamma Chapter’s alumni used their network to gather donations for their chapter house. Brother Bernie Lester and Brother Edward Smoak are co-chairmen of the Alpha Gamma Housing Campaign, which is currently taking donations to pay off the newly built house.

The current housing campaign has been a success and continues to be, as

Bernie said the chapter attempted a housing campaign in the past, but it never went through. He said he believes a lack of commitment was what led to the downfall of the original campaign. Bernie and the alumni working on the housing campaign experimented with different ways to gather the funds to build the new Alpha Gamma Chapter House and found making direct contact with phone calls and visiting alumni to share the importance of the new chapter house worked best for their campaign.

Brother Rob Hunt, the Adviser for Alpha Gamma Chapter, acted as a liaison between the undergraduates and alumni working on the housing campaign. He also helped coordinate a series of the events that went along with the construction of the building, including the groundbreaking ceremony. Despite the long process, the collegiates and alumni knew the new house would be worth it in the end, not just in monetary value, but also in the changes in the chapter’s atmosphere.

“They’re reconnecting with their brothers,” Brother Hunt said. “The non-monetary benefit — I don’t even know how to quantify it, but it’s visible.”

If you would like to donate to the Alpha Gamma Housing Campaign, contact Brother Reggie Brown at Reggieb4765@ gmail.com.

The grand re-opening of the Alpha Theta Chapter House drew more than 300 guests who helped celebrate the revnovations. The members of Alpha Theta look forward to many more years in the historic house.

[They] found making direct contact with phone calls and visiting alumni to share the importance of the new chapter house worked best for their campaign.

Fighting Fires and Staying in School

OVER A ONE YEAR AGO, NEAR SHAVER LAKE , California, a fire began in a ravine. Shaver Lake Volunteer Firefighters were called to the scene. One of the 11 volunteers was Brother Reaves Forrest of Alpha Sigma Chapter at California State University-Fresno, who not only fought the Creek Fire, but also maintained his GPA and passed his classes during the fight.

Brother Forrest said he had always dreamed of becoming a firefighter growing up, but his family were farmers and he never got the opportunity to live out that dream until his freshman year in college. In 2018, Brother Forrest joined the Shaver Lake Fire Department.

“I just want to be able to give back to my community, so I joined the fire department,” Brother Forrest said.

The Creek Fire started September 4, 2020, and when Shaver Lake Volunteer Firefighters arrived at the scene for what Brother Forrest described as their initial attack, there wasn’t much they could do since the fire was inaccessible in a ravine. The following day, the fire had grown and was heading towards homes in Shaver Lake.

Brother Forrest noted that the Shaver Lake Fire Department, along with other teams, held the fire at bay as best as they could until it became too much for them to handle. The next morning, the homes the firefighters had been defending had caught up in the Creek Fire — the town Reaves had grown up in.

“We were on the front lines, pretty much, the whole time,” Brother Forrest said. “Prepping homes the best we could.”

He said he was on the fire for about a month and during that time, Reaves was supposed to be in school. Brother Forrest said a few days into working the fire, which lasted until Dec. 24, 2020, he contacted his professors explaining the situation.

Brother Forrest told them he felt compelled to fight this fire that would destroy the town he grew up in, rather than working on his education for the time being. He even told them he would understand if they had to drop him from their courses since he would fall behind.

“It was more important to me to save the community I grew up in than taking classes I would have the opportunity to take again,” Brother Forrest said. Fortunately, all of Brother Forrest’s professors, some of whom are AGR alumni, understood where he was coming from and told him he could just make up the work after he got back.

“They supported me all the way through the whole situation, which was nice,” Brother Forrest said. He also said his entire chapter supported him as well during this time by buying him meals and checking in on him. It took Brother Forrest about two weeks in October 2020 to catch up on his school work, and stay on track for graduation.

Brother Forrest is now a training officer at Shaver Lake Fire Department and helps conduct trainings for other firefighters.

Recruit 1 , 536

Number of alumni serving in leadership positions with Alpha Gamma Rho.

Educate

There are several ways for AGR brothers to stay involved with the Fraternity after graduating college. One common choice among alumni is holding a leadership position, whether it be at the national, regional or chapter level. Although this isn’t the only way to stay engaged with AGR, it is a great opportunity for alumni to collaborate and assist undergraduate chapters to Make Better Men

Number of established and active alumni chapters:

 Tennessee

 Washington D.C.

 Kansas City

Commit 5 205

 Chicago

 Dallas/Fort Worth

Number of brothers who have taken the Alumni Engagement Modules 1 and 2 on AGRconnect, and received a score of 80 or higher.

Recognize

9 .

Percentage of alumni "lost" in the AGR database as of July 2021.

AGR has five Alumni Chapters across the U.S. It is encouraged to reach out to the alumni chapters for support. The benefits of alumni chapters are endless and AGR supports anyone looking to join or start an alumni chapter in their area.

AGRconnect is provided to our brothers so they have all of the necessary tools needed to achieve success in their careers and life. With AGRconnect, brothers may utilize guides, handouts, quizzes and a variety of other tools to expand their experience with AGR, including their connections with alumni. We ask our brothers to participate in these modules so they can fully grasp all of the options they have when it comes to engaging with alumni and expanding their network.

51%

AGR keeps an extensive database with addresses of its members, along with other information. Nearly 10% of our alumni don't have a "good" address in the database.

engagement

BROTHERHOOD IS AT THE HEART of any fraternity, and that includes alumni engagment. As a fraternal brotherhood, Alpha Gamma Rho encourages its members to connect with one another, whether they are an alumnus or collegiate. Making these kinds of connections can be difficult, but never impossible. Many AGR collegiate and alumni chapters hold events year-round where all brothers can gather as one brotherhood. Let's explore what it means to ...

Rethink the alumni exper i e nc e

LEt's get together!

ALUMNI CHAPTER EVENTS REMAINS ONE OF THE EASIEST AND FASTEST WAYS TO CONNECT WITH LOCAL AGR BROTHERS

BBQ COMPETITION

TENNESSEE

ALUMNI CHAPTER

Fifty brothers had gathered around a campfire. They may not have been brothers by blood, but their commitment to Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity ran deep as men from Kansas State University, Cornell University and North Dakota State University sat together sharing stories and experiences at college. A few older brothers, some long graduated from college, pipe in from their lawn chairs, reminiscing about their college years some of the brothers are currently living. This is what alumni engagement looks like. This is what Alpha Gamma Rho is.

Brother Chad Bradshaw of Alpha Upsilon Chapter at University of Tennessee-Martin, now the Alumni Chapter President of the Tennessee Alumni Chapter, described this scene, which took place at one of the annual Barbecue Competitions hosted by the Tennessee Alumni Chapter. The BBQ Competition, which

radius from

1,188 alumni live within a 75-mile

downtown Nashville. Roughly 60% of all AGR chapters are represented in that number, making the BBQ Competition a great opportunity for brothers all over the nation to intermingle and share their life’s experiences.

was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, is a closed event to strictly alumni and collegiate AGR members where they can participate in the BBQ Competition, cornhole, tug-of-war or just socialize with brothers from all across the nation.

Brother Tracey Binkley of Alpha Kappa Chapter at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville had the idea to hold an event for local brothers from different chapters to get together and socialize. In 2014, Brother Binkley, along with Brothers Chad Bradshaw, and Robert Elliott, who is the co-chairman for the barbecue, and a few others came up with the idea of a BBQ competition in hopes of gathering local collegiates from different chapters to socialize and meet one another. Brother Binkley, Brother Bradshaw, Brother Elliott and their group started laying out a plan for the competition and held the first AGR BBQ Competition that year. After its initial success, alumni were invited to attend and participate in the competitions, allowing

Not only is this competition for local chapters and alumni living in the Nashville area, AGR members from across the

“Within … 75 miles from Nashville, I think there were 1,400 to 1,500 alumni and it was from over 75% of the chapters in the United States,” Brother Bradshaw said about a survey he and Brother Binkley helped conduct. Currently,

1,188 alumni live within a 75-mile radius from downtown Nashville, many of whom did not attend Tennessee-based universities. All of the alumni living in the surrounding area of Nashville come from roughly 60% of all chapters across the nation, making the AGR BBQ opportunity for brothers all over

AGR members and chapters can receive data about members living in their area through the Home Office. By providing parameters such as a zip codes to be used as a central location, distance in miles from a central location, and whether collegiate, alumni or both audiences are requested.

Brother Binkley explained that events such as the AGR BBQ Competition are an amazing opportunity to strengthen AGR’s culture through different points of view. With so many brothers from different regions, with different backgrounds and ages, attending events like this provide an opportunity to share insight from one person to the next.

“I think it’s a great way to pay back,” Brother Binkley said. “It is a great way to re-invest in the brothers yet to come. And I also think it’s a great cause in a world where people are looking for authentic relationships and a vision of something noble that’s bigger than themselves.”

Brother Binkley noted three alumni who influenced him in his college and professional careers. Growing up, Brother Binkley was part of FFA and 4H, which is where he met Brother Mike Lockert from Alpha Kappa Chapter. Brother Lockert encouraged Brother Binkley to join Alpha Gamma Rho and to visit the chapter at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Brother Binkley, after graduating high school, decided to join Alpha Kappa Chapter.

Later, when he was the Noble Ruler, Brother Binkley met Brother Phil Josephson, AGR's former CEO and alumnus of Wisconsin-River Falls (Alpha Psi Chapter), who invited Brother Binkley to work in the Home Office, where he was mentored by another alumnus, Brother Hale Moss, also from Alpha Kappa Chapter.

Due to the intervention of multiple alumni, Brother Binkley’s career with AGR continues as a Regional Vice President for the Mid-East Region, instilling in him the effort it takes to stick to his lifelong commitment when he raised his hand to join Alpha Gamma Rho.

Although the AGR BBQ Competition is just one of many events, there are multiple ways for alumni and collegiates to get together. Sometimes that is a large-scale event, other times it is a small gathering of brothers from the same chapter.

Who are the alumni of AGR?

Even though they share the common bond of brotherhood in Alpha Gamma Rho, do not expect all events will appeal to all audiences. Alumni journey through multiple life-stages and each brings different interests, commitments, disposable time, and income.

Think carefully about your event's target audience. Not every event should try and be an event that will "appeal to all." Few events will, and that's okay! Not everyone is looking for the same AGR alumni experience. What are they looking for? Ask them!

 UNDERGRADUATES: 5%

 RECENT GRADS & SINGLES: 5%

 DOUBLE-INCOMENO-KIDS (DINKS): 15%

 YOUNG AND EXPERIENCED FATHERS: 40%

 EMPTY NESTERS: 15%

 RETIREES: 20%

 HIGHLY ENGAGED MEMBERS: 3%

Defined as members who are chapter officers, volunteers and donors. These are your most loyal brothers, but not necessarily your target audience, especially if you are looking to grow participation and engagement.

Popular Alumni Events

RODEO/CATTLE SHOW

Many AGR collegiate chapters hold these events for philanthropy, which many alumni attend. Reaching out to a chapter to assist in hosting a rodeo/ cattle show is a great way to get brothers with common interests together.

DAY TRIPS TO NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

A fun way to bring brothers and their families together. Visit the local historical sites, museums, parks, etc. all of which provide opportunities for conversation and engagement.

FISHING TOURNAMENT

A sport for the patient, fishing provides an opportunity for brothers to spend quality time together, while sharing a little friendly competition. A great event that can interest brothers in many different life-stages.

WATCH PARTIES

Sports has a natural bonding affect. Professional or college games provide for a lively atmosphere to root for your favorite team. Attend a game, host a cookout or reserve space at a local restaurant.

HOLIDAY PARTY

Holidays often unite people across the country and that includes AGRs. Brothers can get together and celebrate national holidays with one another and their families. If a collegiate chapter is nearby, invite them too!

FORE!

CHICAGO ALUMNI CHAPTER

The Chicago Alumni Chapter has a long history of holding events to bring brothers together. It all started with the International Livestock Exposition banquet. This “must attend” livestock event was the premier cattle show from 1900-1975. To continue bringing brothers together, the Chicago Alumni Chapter held “Chicago Career Days” for many years, a networking and career building event with AGR industry leaders and our collegiate members. Brothers from coast to coast experienced the career opportunities available to them, while having some fun in the Windy City. The event eventually tapered off, but a variation was created as part of the National Convention, and is called the Career Fair.

Today, the Chicago Alumni Chapter hosts an annual golf outing to bring broth ers together. Several long-time brothers gather for their annual get-together. It’s all about snagging their pre ferred beverages and setting out on their mission of fun times to rekindle relationships and meeting brothers.

The Chicago Alumni Chapter has held their annual golf outing for seven years. Brother Fred Reichelt from Gamma Chapter at Penn State University, Brother Carl Luebchow from Alpha Tau Chapter at Western Illinois University and Brother Bill Cherney from Beta Chapter at Ohio State University coordinate the efforts for the Chicago Alumni Chapter golf outing. Brother Luebchow said the alumni chapter hopes to hold two gatherings a year, consisting of the annual golf outing and one other event that is still being decided in an effort to meet new brothers and rekindle relationships. “It’s all about getting brothers together — young and old,” Brother Luebchow said. The plan is to utlize the second outing as an event that appeals to younger AGRs. Perhaps a baseball game or to host a football tailgate.

Brother Reichelt and Brother Luebchow said holding events such as the golf outing are an opportunity for alumni brothers to renew old memories and for

undergraduates and young alumni to develop their personal and professional network through brotherhood.

Brother Reichelt said the Golf outing attendance is primarily made up of brothers from the Alpha Tau Chapter at Western Illinois University, which is exciting, but they would like to see more brothers from other chapters since this event is open to any brothers located in the Chicago area. There are currently 965 AGR collegiate, alumni and alumni initiates living within a 75 mile radius of downtown Chicago.

“Even if you don’t golf, come to the reception and dinner and get to know people,” Brother Reichelt said.

Many Alpha Gamma Rho events held by chapters and alumni have something for everyone. As Brother Reichelt said and Brother Luebchow supported, anyone can come to their golf outing including guests and collegiate brothers. If they don’t golf, there is a dinner and reception afterwards that AGRs are more than welcome to attend so they can still meet with brothers, network and have a good time.

Brother Reichelt said during past events, the Chicago Alumni Chapter has given out up to $1,000 to be donated to chapter alumni boards and other efforts as a way to continually support the alumni circle that supports Alpha Gamma Rho.

If you are looking to get involved with the Chicago Alumni Chapter, feel free to reach out to Fred Reichelt at fredjreichelt@gmail.com or Carl Luebchow at cluebchow@gmail.com.

LUNCH AND LEARN WASHINGTON DC ALUMNI CHAPTER

The bustle of Capitol Hill rings in the background as brothers make their way to their destination. One-by-one they file into the restaurant and find a seat next to an old friend they haven’t seen for months. Chatter swirls amongst the group until the meeting begins. Each brother takes a turn filling his plate, and updating one another on where they are in their career and in their lives. Discussions of agriculture policy make their way into the conversation as new thoughts bounce among the group. This sharing of information and cultivation of fellowship is at the heart of the Washington D.C. Alumni Chapter’s Lunch & Learns.

Brother Paul Weller of Alpha Theta Chapter at the University of Maryland helps coordinate the Lunch and Learns every year. He said for the last two years, the group has not met due to COVID-19.

Brother Weller said in 1969 he moved back to Washington D.C. to take a new job, which led him to getting involved with the D.C. Alumni Chapter.

“There were about four or five of us who got together and started to plan on having a regular get-together,” Brother Weller said.

In the beginning, the Washington D.C. Alumni Chapter would hold an annual banquet. Eventually, the banquets became luncheons typically held twice a year on Capitol Hill with alumni who live in the area. Brother Weller noted Alpha Theta Chapter members attend the most since they are closest, but all chapters are invited to join.

Currently 1,488 AGR members live within 75 miles of Capitol Hill, most of whom are alumni and alumni initiates.

He also said that Brother Lee Van Wychen from Iota Chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the President of the Washington D.C. Alumni Chapter maintains an extensive list of members in a database for the alumni chapter in order to keep in contact with them and make sure they stay connected.

Paul said they decided to hold these luncheons on Capitol Hill because it was a central location and there are usually some AGRs who are working on Capitol Hill, whether they are among the staff or in Congress. Not to mention, the location is convenient to reach by subway. Over the years, these luncheons have averaged 30-40 brothers in attendance.

company or your association that you’re with,” Brother Weller said. “It’s also important to be up to date on where brothers are — where they change jobs — you know, it’s a good information exchange.”

Paul said one of the most valuable services he has seen from Alpha Gamma Rho was from the brothers in the field of agriculture connecting with one another to network and keep up with where each other is in life. He said events such as this one and being part of a network of alumni is an opportunity for someone to advance themselves in their career.

Another opportunity that has come out of this alumni engagement is the updates to the Alpha Theta Chapter House. The 90-year-old house needed renovations, and Alpha Theta’s connection to the Washington D. C. Alumni Chapter helped keep up with reports on the house in support of the large undertaking that was renovating.

Brother Weller said the brothers who attend often discuss agriculture policy, network and catch up with one another. Brothers have the ability to intermingle and chat with each other as a way to learn about the vast number of brothers who live and work inside "The Beltway." In addition, each person is formally given the chance to share any personal or career updates with the rest of the group.

“It is important for your

Through the intermingling of the undergraduates and alumni at the D.C. luncheons, AGRs were inspired and gained new ideas to consider with their own chapters, which is what alumni engagement is all about.

Over the years, the group has welcomed undergraduate members who are interning in Washington, D.C. This event is a unique opportunity to add value to an already enriching internship experience.

If anyone is considering interning or making a career change, which bring them to D.C., they should consider getting in contact with the alunni chapter at pweller@ agriwashinton.org

They decided to hold these luncheons on Capitol Hill because it was a central location ... there are usually some AGRs who are working on Capitol Hill ... Not to mention the location is convenient to reach by subway.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME DALLAS / FORT WORTH

Alumni Engagement is no easy feat. It can look like a variety of things and can be hard to pinpoint what would be best. Sometimes it is an evening banquet with brothers gathered around tables chatting and celebrating the small victories in their careers and lives. Other times it is meeting one another for some Texas Rangers baseball, hot dogs and drinks.

Brother Cody Lane of Beta Sigma Chapter at Tarleton State, and Southwest Regional Vice President, has been involved with the Dallas/Fort Worth Alumni Chapter since he graduated from Tarleton State. He said in the last few years, the alumni chapter has yet to hold any major events due to the large area that is Dallas/Fort Worth, making it a long trip to meet with other AGRs at gatherings.

of the National Fraternity is that the Fraternity is the common cause.

Brother Lane said Alpha Gamma Rho has evolved over the years, but the values and what AGR brothers strive to do in their lives and careers hasn’t changed. We are still here to Make Better Men.

“Although there may be an age difference, there may be a generational difference, at the end of the day, they have a lot of common ground among the group,” Brother Lane said. AGR is a place where like-minded individuals can gather and share ideas, goals, and points of view.

Guilt-Trips are NOT a Marketing Strategy

If reminding members of their “life-long obligation” worked, we would have much larger participation. Instead, we must provide alumni what they want or find missing in thier lives.

In the past, the Dallas/Fort Worth Alumni Chapter has held banquets, gone to local baseball games and held other small events where alumni and collegiates could mingle. Despite the alumni chapter’s struggle to get together, Brother Lane is a firm believer in alumni engagement.

“What’s really interesting is some of these guys may have gone to school at Oklahoma State, Iowa State, or Kansas State, or somewhere in California, and when they get together, they have a lot in common,” Brother Lane said. “It’s just neat for networking purposes.”

Networking can be for brothers of any age, which contributes to why organizations like Alpha Gamma Rho are unique. A common cause often aids in bringing brothers together and the beauty

He said although AGR brothers have a lot in common, he does see a need for more promotion of alumni engagement. Promoting events, especially for alumni require consistent messaging and proper timing. It also needs to be specific to a target audience. It is valuable to test a few event ideas with a specific alumni segment (see pg. 15) to determine interest and possible attendance. If the evidence supports the event idea, begin planning marketing and communications to effectively spread the word about the event and its specifics. Keep in mind that different audiences have different preferred communication mediums. (For more information or help in planning event marketing and communications, contact Madeline@alphagammarho.org.)

Brother Lane sees this with his own alumni chapter and would like to see that change. He noted that if given the opportunity, he would love to connect with other alumni chapters or alumni in general who are hosting events and brainstorm future opportunities. There is the beauty of AGR, again, holding a brainstorming session with other alumni is alumni engagement! Working with other Alpha Gamma Rho brothers to gather more members in a single setting allows them to work together and bond with one another to grow a stronger Fraternity.

Any brother looking to get involved with the Dallas/ Fort Worth Alumni Chapter or just looking to get involved with AGR, can contact Cody Lane at agrcody@gmail.com or 817-291-3615.

Alumni Engagement is no easy feat. It can look like a variety of things and can be hard to pinpoint what would be best. Sometimes it is an evening banquet ... Other times it is meeting one another for some Texas Rangers baseball, hotdogs and drinks.

UNDERGRADAUTE ADVISING AND COUNSEL AN UNDERGRADUATE CHAPTER NEAR YOU

Brother Garrett Hawkins, a founding brother of Beta Omega Chapter at Missouri State University, and the RVPSouth Central Region. received a call in the fall of 2021 from a collegiate who was starting his freshman year at Beta Omega Chapter. The undergraduate was updating an alumni contact list when he called Garrett. The undergraduate introduced himself as Warren Meservey, which was a familiar name to Garrett. Garrett stopped the young man and asked if his father was David Meservey.

As it turned out, the undergraduate is a legacy member after his father, Brother David Meservey from Theta Chapter at the University of Missouri, and was the state president at the local Farm Bureau where Garrett serves as the President, in Trenton, Missouri. Garrett chuckled at the idea of how small the world really is as he spoke with Warren. Garrett had known Warren since he was born, and now Warren is in college and a member of the same Fraternity.

Brother Hawkins said it is times like these he is able to really appreciate the bond he has with his AGR brothers. He explained the importance of alumni engagement for both undergraduates and alumni as not only a way to network, but also cement the foundations of every chapter installed and to be installed in the future.

Using his own chapter, Beta Omega, Garrett said at the Top Leaders Institute, held by the National Fraternity, he had the opportunity to sit down with the collegiate brothers of Beta Omega Chapter and help them set goals essential to laying the foundation for continuous efforts at Missouri State.

“We are continuing to impress upon the undergrads, ‘why do we even reach out to the National Fraternity to have a conversation to start a chapter? What was going through our mind at the time?’ What was going through our minds at the time was the need for more opportunities for young men, for brotherhood and professional development, and what we saw from collegiates at other universities was Alpha Gamma Rho was that avenue to foster what we were looking for,” Garrett said.

He continued to explain that as alumni, it is important alumni stay engaged with collegiate members to help them understand why it is such a special opportunity to be part of Alpha Gamma Rho. Garrett said this can be done through alumni sharing their stories as to why they joined AGR and why they continue to support the Fraternity after they have graduated college, started a career and started a family.

Alumni can engage with collegiates in a variety of ways. Attending college games and joining the chapter while they tailgate is a great way to get to know the brothers. For those looking to lend a hand, volunteer to help with a chapter event or participate in their philanthropy.

Want to Establish an Alumni Chapter in Your Area?

Step 1: Contact the AGR Home Office

Step 2:

The National Board of Directors has the ability to investigate on an informal basis the of establishing a Alumni Chapter.

Chapters at new locations at which a reasonable number of interested Alumni Members reside in proximity to each other, and the National Board of Directors shall assist in action leading to such establishment when the circumstances so warrant;

Brother Hawkins said what is taught through the Fraternity will weave its way into the rest of a person’s life. It influences their career, what kind of man they grow up to be, what kind of husband and father they may be. He reinforced it is up to the alumni of Alpha Gamma Rho to act as role models for the undergraduates in every aspect of life and to be there as their support in all of those parts of life. The hope is, according to Garrett, undergraduate brothers leave college stronger and more well-rounded than they would have been had they not joined AGR. “Alpha Gamma Rho is truly one of the best decisions a young man can make,” Garrett said.

It is recommended that alumni utilize the Home Office to help them contact chapters. AGR keeps an extensive database with every member and chapter, including alumni chapters. The Home Office is able to supply info about chapters and contact information upon request.

An Alumni Chapter shall be charted by the National Board of Directors only upon the petition of not less than ten alumni members residing in a reasonable proximity stating facts and circumstances which support the reasonable belief that the group, so charted, will continue in existence as an Alumni Chapter supporting the principles of the Fraternity.

Step 3:

Maintain alumni chapter and keep records of membership, growth, etc.

It is up to the alumni of Alpha Gamma Rho to act as role models for the undergraduates in every aspect of life and to be there as their support in all of those parts of life.

re-engaging with AGR

HOW TO RENEW YOUR BONDS OF BROTHERHOOD

COLLEGE AND LIFE AFTER COLLEGE, for many is a whirlwind of starting a career, possibly getting married and having a family. No matter what direction life takes people, it often gets busy and, unintentionally, things often can slip through the cracks.

Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity is a lifetime commitment, and even when brothers are working on starting their lives after college, AGR is always there for them when the time is right. Some brothers stay actively involved in the Fraternity right after graduating, others take some time before making their way back to the National Fraternity. Whether someone is away from Alpha Gamma Rho for two years or 20 years, “it is never too late and it is never too early,” as Brother Joe Hora, Alumni President of Eta Chapter at Iowa State University says about getting involved with AGR.

Brother Bill Boehm, who has served on both the National Fraternity Board and The Educational Foundation, among many other committees, sees the need for an increase in alumni engagement.

“Membership at AGR is a lifetime commitment and we struggle with that among a high percentage of our membership,” Brother Boehm said.

He believes this issue stems from an attitude of “I was an AGR at…” rather than the members carrying the attitude “I am part of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity and always will be.”

Brother Boehm also noted many collegiates are called “actives,” a term which implies the collegiates are the only active members in the Fraternity. Brother Boehm said he is bothered by this term, describing it like the sound of nails on a chalk board when he hears it.

“We’re all supposed to be actively engaged and the idea that the undergraduates are the only ones who are active is problematic,” he said.

Without alumni being involved in the National Fraternity, even on a chapter level, there is a lack of proof Alpha Gamma Rho has an effect on its member’s lives beyond their years at college. When chapters try to recruit people, potential new members want to see how this lifelong commitment will affect their lives beyond the chapter house. With alumni interacting with the undergraduates and meeting potential new members, they can show how Alpha Gamma Rho has given them the necessary tools and skills needed to have not only a successful career, but lead a life full of value, in addition to enhancing experiences that they gained as a collegiate.

Brother Boehm said one way alumni can get re-involved with AGR is by reaching out to their chapter or a local chapter and volunteer where it is needed. By volunteering, alumni can not only get re-involved, this provides them an opportunity to connect with other alumni and with the collegiate members for the Fraternity. Brother Boehm explained the reason alumni involvement is important is so they can show collegiates that joining an organization such as Alpha Gamma Rho is a lifelong commitment, rather than just the few years they spend at college.

From the newly initiated brother to the alumnus who has been out of school for 15 years, each brother should strive to be actively engaged for the betterment of our Fraternity. Brothers can participate in something as simple as reading the monthly S&S E-Brief — an e-newslet-

er sent via email. They can attend a local chapter event — just to see what it's about — or even go as far as hosting their own gatherthing (see pg. 16 for some ideas).

Brother Hora, who is deeply involved with AGR , agrees that joining the National Fraternity is a lifelong commitment, even if someone steps back from, they are always welcome to return. An AGR alumnus will never know if their skills will help make a difference in a younger brother's life if there is no communication between the two.

Brother Hora said another key to getting re-involved with Alpha Gamma Rho is to communicate with undergraduate chapters. Alumni are encouraged to reach out to the Home Office or the university to make direct contact with the Chapter's Adviser to determine how best to assist our undergraduate brothers. He attributes the relationship the alumni board at Eta Chapter (Iowa State) has with the undergraduates to the constant communication between the two groups.

“We’re a very open, communicative, alumni board with the exec team and leaders in the chapter, and having that communication in alignment allows us to be transparent,” he said.

Brother Hora explained their open communication has allowed the colle -

“The reason alumni involvement is important is so they can show collegiates that joining an organization such as Alpha Gamma Rho is a lifelong commitment, rather than just the few years they spend at college.”

giates and alumni board to interact with one another in ways which help both groups grow in skills and leadership. He said the chapter holds alumni board meetings with the Eta Chapter’s executive team, where the undergraduates and alumni collaborate on how to make the chapter better, increase visibility on Iowa State’s campus and consider how they can help one another.

Brother Rich Engel of Phi Chapter at University of California-Davis, Regional Vice President-Pacific Region, said he believes if alumni really want to get re-involved with AGR, the best way to do so is to attend a meeting for a chapter and see where the needs are, or visit with the Chapter Adviser. He explained after a

brother graduates and isn’t involved with the Fraternity on any level for a period of time, they can fall out of sync with what is happening at a chapter and in the Fraternity as a whole. Brother Engel said the best way to fix this is to get a feel for the chapter and Fraternity.

By sitting in on a chapter meeting and observing the brothers and the innerworkings of the meeting, Brother Engel said any needs of the brothers or the chapter will organically appear and make themselves obvious. He said it is up to alumni to see how their skills can assist with those needs, or if they know someone who can assist.

Brother Engel also believes having a strong network is what keeps the cycle of commitment going. He noted it is natural for some people to step away from the Fraternity when they graduate college because they are starting a career and a lot of times a family too. Despite this time away from AGR, when brothers are deeply connected, they almost always find their way back to the Fraternity.

“It’s full circle for me because when I joined AGR, the first thing that was evident was the network helped me with my career,” Brother Engel said, which inevitably, led him back to AGR despite not being connected to his chapter for over half a decade.

Brother Boehm, Brother Engel and Brother Hora all noted there is a need for more alumni engagement. Brother Hora said its great there are many alumni who are giving to The Educational Foundation of Alpha Gamma Rho, but believes that there is a need for alumni to start asking how they can get engaged with AGR on a non-financial basis.

“It could be attending an evening meal, attending a homecoming ceremony, attending Founder’s Day, reaching out to our job placement chair at the undergraduate chapters … there’s a lot of ways you can get involved as an alumnus,” Brother Hora said.

To further reinforce the desire for alumni engagement and the impact it can have on an undergraduate's life, Eta Chapter, in conjunction with the Central Iowa AGR Alumni Group, hold two events a year for the collegiate men

“It’s full circle for me because when I joined AGR, the first thing that was evident was the [alumni] network that helped me with my career.”

Alumni Engagement Opportunities

ALUMNI CHAPTERS

An alumni chapter can be established for each collegiate chapter that has been chartered by the Fraternity.

RECRUITMENT SCHOOL

Recruitment School is scheduled twice a year in Kansas City, MO. Anyone who is involved in recruiting for the chapter and who wants to make a difference is encouraged to attend.

LEADERSHIP SEMINAR FACILITATOR

AGR annually hosts hold four regional Leadership Seminars. Facilitators are highly energetic, have experience in group facilitation and have a drive to help attendees realize their full potential as a leader.

RECRUITMENT MENTOR

Through ongoing advice and counsel, this alumnus creates an organized and sustained emphasis on effective recruitment including training, communications and securing alumni involvement and support.

CHAPTER ADVISER

A facilitator, mentor, provider of continuity, visionary, leader and advocate for AGR and its members. Provides guidance to the collegiate chapter, maintaining contact with university officials, Alumni Board, Home Office and Housemother/House Director.

ALUMNI BOARD

By the actions of our alumni, it is apparent the Fraternity had and continues to have on their personal and processional success. Being part of an alumni board is a great opportunity to support a chapter and aid brothers in their career paths.

STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION

Facilitated by former Grand President, Zane Akins, these sessions help chapters identify needs and create goals that contribute to the successful future of their Chapter and the Fraternity. Alumni are encouraged to attend with their undergraduate Chapter and assist in establishing goals.

FRATERNITY NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Consisting of the six elected members, the business and policy of the Fraternity are managed by the National Board of Directors.

THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

BOARD OF ALPHA GAMMA RHO

The purposes of the Educational Foundation are to porvide financial support for educational and leadership purposes; to assist needy and deserving students in securing a better education; and to promote and encourage scientific, philosophical, and literary endeavors.

Visit alphagammarho.org/alumni to view opportunities to get involved.

of Eta Chapter. During the fall semester, those newly initiated are invited to a local alumnus' home for an evening meal and a chance to engage with the alumni in the area.

In recent years, both formal and informal mentoring groups have emerged between alumni and individual undergraduate members. Likewise at the end of the school year, the same alumni group host a congratulatory dinner for the graduating seniors. These soon to be alumni have the opportunity to interact and share where their career paths are taking them after graduation. It is also a call to action on how to remain connected with AGR. In some years, a speaker has informally shared their testimony on the impact AGR can have on a brother's life. The graduating seniors are also presented with multiple ways to remain involved either financially, through volunteer efforts with Eta Chapter, or ways to engage with other brothers or chapters should their careers take them outside of the state of Iowa.

Another way to get involved is attending National Convention. National Convention is held every two years and is a prime opportunity for alumni to network with undergraduates because brothers from all over the U.S. attend. The 67th Alpha Gamma Rho National Convention will be held July 27-29, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This event is a fantastic opportunity for alumni who are looking to get re-involved with AGR to connect with the National Fraternity Registration is open at www.alphagammarho. org/2022-national-convention.

The AGR Home Office encourages alumni to stay connected! Utilize social media to stay up to date on national events, as well as some chapter and alumni chapter events. On Facebook and Instagram follow us at alphagammarhohq. On Twitter follow us at AlphaGammaRho. Be on the lookout for emails through Constant Contact. If you don't receive AGR Home Office emails, please contact Communication Manager, Madeline Mapes, at madeline@alphagammarho.org.

Visit alphagammarho.org/alumni to view opportunities to get involved.

Volunteering for the Kimmel Applejack Festival

BROTHERS FROM KAPPA CHAPTER AT THE University of Nebraska volunteered at the Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation for the Applejack Festival September 18–19, 2021.

Brother Mitchell Manning, the Noble Ruler at Kappa Chapter, said over half of the chapter traveled an hour and volunteered for two days in a row for the event. He said the chapter usually gets there early and will work all day Saturday and Sunday before going home.

The brothers are given different jobs throughout the event, ranging from ticket sales to making food to providing tractor rides through the orchard.

Brother Manning said the event is a big deal for the chapter to work since it is very popular and allows the chapter to support their local community.

In return for the brothers hard work, the Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Education Foundation donate $10,000 to the chapter for them to make improvements to the chapter house. Brother Manning said with these improvements, the chapter is able to increase recruitment, and maintain a positive image of the chapter house.

KAPPA CHAPTER University of Nebraska

State University

Tractor Pull!

The Alpha Phi Chapter from South Dakota State University held their AGR Tractor Pull on September 6, 2021, for the first time after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.

Brother Cody Gifford, the chapter’s VNR-Membership Development, said the event consisted of 28 classes people could participate in. He said the chapter obtained equipment through donations and local sponsors. The chapter also held concessions, which were assisted by their Housemother, Donna Robinson.

There were 73 hooks for the event, which is the number of times people participated in the tractor pull. Brother Gifford also noted there were roughly 100 spectators from the community.

The event provides an opportunity for the chapter to get their name out in the community and have a fun time over Labor Day weekend. The chapter hopes to have 100 hooks next year and an even bigger event.

Field Trip to Ag Businesses

Alpha Pi Chapter at the University of Arizona hosted another Professional Development Tour on November 29, 2021, taking roughly 30 members to southern Arizona to visit various agricultural and non-agricultural-related jobs.

Brother Weston Trenner, the Noble Ruler at Alpha Pi Chapter, said at this tour, the brothers visited a dairy farm, a vineyard and a granary. The chapter tries to pick places to tour that would be of interest to brothers based on their majors, some of which are not agriculture majors.

Brother Trenner said these tours often lead to jobs and internships for Alpha Pi Chapter brothers and is one of the most professional and beneficial events they participate in. The event is open to everyone, which included some brothers from the Alpha Lambda Chapter at New Mexico State University who attended a previous Professional Development Tour. The chapter often utilizes their chapter’s alumni to setup tours since many of them are in different branches of the agriculture industry across Arizona, giving the collegiates an opportunity to network with their older brothers as a way to also offset some of the costs for the tours, the chapter has taken advantage of Sayre Grants through the National Fraternity.

Brother Honored

At Murray State University, Brother Jim Rudolph’s (Alpha Omega) name was honored by the naming of the Rudolph Equine Education Center.

Brother Rudolph started the equine program at Murray State in 1973. For 35 years, he worked at the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray state as a faculty member in Equine Science.

ALPHA ZETA

Kansas State University

Diagnosis Spearheads Determination

When one AGR brother fell ill, his brothers stepped up and helped him in his fight against Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Brother Aaron Hendrickson of Alpha Zeta Chapter at Kansas State University visited the emergency room in June 2021 for an uncontrollable nosebleed. After some testing and being transferred to Bryan Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, he was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Due to his diagnosis, Brother Hendrickson underwent chemotherapy and later immunotherapy because of complications with the chemotherapy treatment. This past fall, Alpha Zeta Chapter undergraduates and alumni banned together and raised $5,200 that was presented to Brother Hendrickson to help pay for his medical bills. Brother Hendrickson will continue his immunotherapy treatment for three years, although there is currently no detection of leukemia.

For four of those 35 years, he was the first Director of the School of Agriculture.

A naming ceremony was held, where Brother Rudolph was presented with a framed, numbered and signed print of the original Alpha Omega Chapter house by Alumnus Terry McKinney and current collegiate brothers of the chapter. New signage was revealed after the naming ceremony, now listing the Rudolph Equine Education Center.

ALPHA PHI South Dakota

ALPHA PI University of Arizona

ALPHA OMEGA Murray State University

ETA Iowa State University

Agger Fries Philanthropy

Brothers of Eta Chapter at Iowa State University held their Agger Fries Philanthropy October 18, 2021.

Brother Nathan Behrends, Noble Ruler at Eta Chapter, said the 2021 event had record attendance with roughly 620 people coming to get fried food from the chapter from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The chapter raised $3,850 to donate to the American Cancer Society selling fried Oreos, french fries, fried pickles, potato chips and fried cheese curds.

He explained the event originally started in the 1980s when a prank war ensued between the Eta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho and the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity next door. One of the pranks was brothers from the Eta Chapter would steal potatoes from the neighboring fraternity and cook them. Eventually the prank evolved into a wildly popular philanthropy.

Agronomy On Ice

A few Alpha Gamma Rho brothers participated and were involved with the annual Agronomy On Ice event in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, January 31 through February 2, 2022.

Brothers Chris Kappes and Paul Schroden of Epsilon Chapter at North Dakota State University, as well as Brother Tim Hammerich of Phi Chapter at University of California-Davis, attended the event on ice along with

several hundred other agriculture specialists and professionals for networking and fun. Despite temperatures well below freezing, roughly 60 ice houses full of participants gathered on the lake to mingle and ice fish together.

Delicacies from Norwegian, Icelandic, German and Scandinavian cultures were shared among the groups, as well as cooked fish from Devil’s Lake. Students from

various local colleges and universities made a trip to the lake to network with the professionals hanging out at the lake, some of whom left with job connections and internships. The event was anticipated to bring in anywhere between 700 and 1,000 people if it hadn’t been for the bad weather that started to roll in January 22 and continued to the beginning of the event on January 31.

CHI Western Kentucky University

Northwest Missouri State University

Celebrate Agriculture

The Beta Rho Chapter at Northwest Missouri State University along with the School of Agricultural Sciences held a Celebrate Agriculture week.

During the week of November 13-18, 2021, a variety of events were held by the School of Agriculture and various agriculture organizations on campus, including AGR. Events such as Sunday Night Football and Tailgate, an Agriculture Employer Networking Event, a game night and a canned food drive were some of the events hosted throughout the week.

Previous Noble Ruler, Thomas Mick, said the chapter smoked barbecue for the event as well as participated in many of the events, including the networking event.

The chapter also participated in the canned food drive where the brothers, along with other agriculture organization on campus, sat outside of the local Hy-Vee store handing out flyers and asking for donations to be given to The Ministry Center in Maryville, Missouri, home of Northwest Missouri State University.

Tees Off Once Again

After a year of COVID-19 and not being able to meet in a common brotherhood bond, the Alpha Chi Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho at Western Kentucky University was once again able to take to the fairways and enjoy a day of brotherhood bonding.

Alpha Chi Chapter held its annual Golf Scramble on July 10, 2021, at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek Golf Course located in Franklin, Kentucky. Over 100 golfers were in attendance. The teams were comprised of alumni, undergraduate members, potential recruits and Educational Leadership Consultant, Ben Willoughby. Some very special guests that day were Alpha Chi founding member Jamie Blewett and charter member Darwin Newton who were present for the scramble. $8,800 was raised and donated back to Alpha Chi Chapter to make improvements to the chapter house.

The money raised was great, how ever the real value of the day came from the brotherhood on display. There were many memories to share, and lots of stories from back-in-the-day. After almost a year and half away from Alpha Chi Chapter due to the pandemic, the scramble gave all brothers and supporters a chance to come together to bond, share a meal, and reconnect in order to make a stronger brotherhood. Plans for this summer’s Golf Scramble are already underway.

ALPHA

BETA RHO

Log-A-Thon for Philanthropy

Beta Phi Chapter at University of Idaho held their annual Log-A-Thon philanthropy event on October 2, 2021. The event helps raise funds for a scholarship in memory of a sister and girlfriend of brothers of the Beta Phi Chapter, as well as a college fund for a daughter of a late brother. Sometimes, the chapter will also allocate some of the funds raised to other local causes as the chapter sees fit.

To raise the funds, the brothers cut firewood and sell it to the local community. Afterwards, the chapter holds a logging sports competition for sororities and other organizations on campus. This competition consists of a variety of fun sports and activities for everyone. It includes an obstacle course, log rolling, ax throwing and cookie painting. In 2021, the chapter raised $6,000 that was split two ways between the scholarship and college fund.

Falls Supporting UWRF Farm Bureau

Alpha Psi Chapter at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) provided music at a barn dance to support the UWRF Farm Bureau. Brother Justin Martin said the brothers had a great time DJing the event that raised funds for the local Farm Bureau. He said more than 100 people attended the event. Each person was asked to pay their way to get into the event or they could bring one non-perishable food item that would be donated to a local food pantry. Brother Martin said it was a great night of relaxed fun and dancing that also allowed them to support their local community.

University of Florida Chapter Awarded for Oustanding Accomplishments

Several brothers, as well as the overall chapter, from Alpha Gamma Chapter at the University of Florida were recognized at the University of Florida Greek Awards Banquet.

The chapter was awarded for the Outstanding Scholarship Program, Outstanding Philanthropy, Outstanding Virtual Program and the Greek Collaboration Award.

Brother Robbie Sistrunk was awarded the Buddy McKay Greek Person of the Year award and the Chapter Adviser, Rob Hunt was recognized as the Advisor of the Year.

AGR Cooking for Students on Campus and Community with Philanthropy

Beta Omicron Chapter at the University of Wyoming teamed up with the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) to host a free barbecue for the campus during Homecoming week in October 2021. The chapter cooked food for the campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the food supplies were exhausted.

The barbecue provided students an opportunity to feel welcomed on campus and bring about a sense of normalcy with the COVID-19 pandemic swarming the world. This event also allowed the Beta Omicron Chapter the chance to interact with the rest of the campus through food, philanthropy and school pride.

The event brought in roughly 400 people who were served by AGR brothers.

BETA PHI University of Idaho

BETA OMICRON University of Wyoming

ALPHA PSI University of Wisconsin—River

ALPHA GAMMA

29th Annual Smokin’ Hog Outcome

The Alpha Tau Chapter at Western Illinois University held their 29th Annual Smokin’ Hog event October 30, after being postponed for a year due to COVID-19. This year, the chapter held an outdoors eating area for people to come and enjoy a meal, and they set up a drive thru, utilizing the driveway to their chapter house.

Brother Logan Arnold, VNR-Activities said the event went incredibly well. The event raised $25,000, which is $5,000 more than what they had hoped for at the last event, held before the pandemic, the chapter raised over $24,000. Brother Arnold said the chapter looks forward to their 30th Annual Smokin’ Hog event next year. They hope to hold a bigger event with other activities to celebrate three decades of Smokin’ Hog.

Philanthropy Collaboration

Alpha Lambda Chapter at New Mexico State University participated in various philanthropy events in collaboration with other fraternities and sororities on campus.

One event was Chi Omega Sorority’s Make-AWish dodge ball competition, where the Alpha Lambda Chapter remained the undefeated champions at the 2021 games. The chapter also succeeded in achieving the most overall points for the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority’s philanthropy event.

Brother Anthony Mowery received third place in the Alpha Xi Delta’s “Xi Pageant,” Brother Max Coppenbarger and Brother Armando Burciaga represented Alpha Lambda Chapter in the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity’s “Water-Dye Tournament” by placing third overall.

The chapter looks forward to next year’s competitions for philanthropy in collaboration with other Greek organizations on campus.

University of Minnesota

Hoops for Hearts

After the sudden passing of Brother Karson Janssen of Lambda Chapter at the University of Minnesota in November 2021, his chapter brothers banded to gether with the Janssen family to honor Brother Janssen. The Janssen family established the Karson Janssen Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is supported by various fundraisers done surrounding Brother Janssen and his legacy.

One of the fundraisers was the first ever Karson Janssen Memorial Hoops for Heart Project held February 18, 2022. The mission was a variety of things encompassing heart health and Brother Janssen’s life motto — be nice, be neat and be humble.

Brothers from Lambda Chapter helped raise funds for the memorial scholarship at the event. They shared that the event was a success in not only raising money, but spreading awareness about heart health and what happened to Brother Janssen. Lambda Chapter hopes plans to find a way to honor Brother Janssen within the chapter as well. Although gone, Brother Janssen is felt each day among the brothers as they strive to live out Karson’s motto in their daily lives.

GAMMA DELTA Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Brothers of Gamma Delta Chapter at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) on October 16, 2021, participated in the annual Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Tifton, Georgia. The walk was held at the college where the community could join a team to participate in the walk.

Before the walk, Gamma Delta Chapter raised more than $6,960 as well as additional funds from barrel races they held during some of the home football games. Gamma Delta Noble Ruler Hunter Lawhon said the disease affected almost all of the brothers in the chapter in some way. Through donation and continual support, he hopes an eventual cure can be found for Alzheimer’s.

Chrystal Bell, the Manager for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Tifton, said the Gamma Delta Chapter helped set up and breakdown the event, on top of walking in the day of the event with their donation, putting them at 121% of their goal, which was $33,000.

“We’re so grateful for their support,” Bell said. “They are a great group to work with.”

Bell said the brother’s fundraising team was 2nd out of 22 teams that raised funds for the walk. She also noted the Gamma Delta Chapter has participated in eight out of 10 walks the Alzheimer’s Association has hosted since 2012 in Tifton.

LAMBDA CHAPTER

ALPHA LAMBDA New Mexico State University

ALPHA TAU Western Illinois University

In Memory of Our Great Brothers

The following deaths were reported to the AGR Home Office between September 4, 2021, and February 21, 2022. The listing includes initiation year.

Arizona

Kelly Keithly, 1968

Arkansas

Jerick Hutchinson, 1995

Terry Cole, 1971

Auburn

John Bryant Ph.D. 1955

Aubrey Grant, 1955

Cal Poly

George Costa Jr., 1981

California State-Fresno

George Landolt, 1974

Peter Rajkovich, 1992

California-Davis

Cletus Lilly, 1951

Colorado State

Edgar Abram, 1948

William Dress, 1946

Robert Kahrs DVM, 1950

Lawrence King, 1984

William Kochis, 1958

James Miller, 1963

James Orman, 1951

Cornell Smith, 1936

Lawrence Smith, 1950

Charles Stansbury, 1942

Florida

Kenneth Cole, 1963

Georgia Exner Sr. 1951

Daniel Faircloth Jr., 1967

Christopher Falletta, 2003

Jason Roulette, 1989

James Smith, 1948

Illinois

Jay Adams, 1970

David Bechtel, 1964

George Courter, 1960

Iowa State

Robert Bellman, 1946

Robert Bliss, 1948

James Clark Jr., 1940

Lewis DeGraff, 1951

Richard Edleman, 1951

Daryle Getting, 1942

Rodney Goodall, 1974

Lowell Harper, 1951

Wade Hauser Jr., 1943

Vernon Henry, 1949

Roy Hildebrand, 1968

Randall Hirsch, 1953

Robert Holz, 1951

James Jewett, 1953

Kendall Kneen, 1946

Hugh Kuhn, 1939

John Landon, 1974

Paul Murphy, 1949

Donald Noller, 1939

Dwight Lewis, 1949

Ivan Opperman, 1950

Alan Raun DVM, 1945

Merrill Richey, 1951

Milton Severson, 1951

Ralph Van Pelt, 1951

Richard Warren, 1951

Glenn Windom DVM, 1953

Myron Wormley, 1949

Bobby Siberts, 1971

John Thompson, 1946

Robert Tobin, 1947

George Tomlinson, 1951

Eugene Wiese, 1948

Steven Wachtel, 1949

Kansas State

Richard Barta DVM, 1963

Gene Laverentz, 1964

M. Riemann, 1962

Kentucky

S. Russell Polston, 1949

Louisiana State

Harvard Brian, 1985

Eric Howell, 1980

Michael Jones, 1974

Jonathan Mayeaux, 1972

Robert Tanner, 1979

Maine

John Hesketh, 1953

Stephen Sylvester, 1953

Maryland

Warren Baity, 1945

Donald Balderston, 1948

Arthur Bell Jr., 1953

Hartley Crist, 1942

Robert Drechsler, 1953

Kenneth Fry, 1974

Donald Gies, 1940

Cecil Holter, 1943

J. B. Jarrell Jr., 1941

Harry Jones, 1947

William Miles, 1940

Meredith Owings, 1941

Charles Rathell Jr., 1942

Robert Raver, 1951

J John Rieck, 1944

Joseph Rogers, 1942

James Scott Jr., 1969

Lewis Smith Ph.D., 1958

Willard Stevenson, 1949

Daniel Talmadge, 1941

William Taylor, 1942

Paul Widdowson Jr., 1945

Massachusetts

Richard Chase, 1952

Charles Costa, 1958

Michigan State

George BuchFink, 1951

Fred Duever, 1969

Earl Herrmann, 1955

Middle Tennessee State

Eddie Jernigan, 1976

Minnesota

Neale Anderson, 1961

Roger Baer, 1954

Karson Janssen, 2020

Missouri

Fred Finck, 1952

James Hundle, 2009

Kevin Sage, 1986

Glenn Schwab DVM, 1956

Missouri State

Clifford Doke, 1951

John Doll, 1950

J Philip Donally, 1951

John Gander Ph.D., 1948

Casey Osborne, 2003

Murray State

Ralph Bogle, 1970

Nebraska

Harry Beattie, 1969

Donald Beck, 1954

Loren Hansen, 1966

Doyle Kauk, 1962

Gene Libal, 1966

New Hampshire

Harold Albin Jr., 1953

Bruce Barmby, 1951

Charles Bassett, 1947

Bennett Black, 1942

Ashton Bohanan, 1936

Stanle Byczkowski, 1949

Charles Carlson, 1942

Jean Chabot, 1960

William Colton, 1942

Roger Currier, 1965

Thomas Dietz CPCU, 1961

Barry Dill, 1976

Raymond Dupell USAF, 1939

Earle Fennessey, 1958

John Grigas Jr., 1970

Thomas Hahn, 1949

C. B. Hall Ph.D., 1940

Hans Hanson, 1942

John Hodsdon, 1958

William Houston, 1951

Clifford Hudson, 1946

Robert Littlefield, 1937

Robert Low, 1956

Clement Lyon Jr., 1947

William Markey USAF, 1954

Kenneth Marshall, 1948

Henry McCrillis, 1949

William Mitchell II, 1940

Robert Morse, 1951

Harold Nevers, 1961

Niles Peterson, 1942

Robert Porter, 1951

Paul Price, 1983

Carroll Sanderson, 1937

Herman Scott, 1938

Steven Shawney, 1972

Thomas Shultz, 1951

Dale Simmons, 1965

Gardner Small, 1937

Stanley Stoddard, 1938

Richard Swanson, 1971

William Sweet, 1950

Ronald Swetland, 1955

Floyd Timson, 1956

John Walford, 1975

Thaddeus Wielgus, 1943

James Williams, 1942

Maurice Winn, 1939

Francis Wolfe, 1961

New Mexico State

Patrick Long, 1974

North Carolina State

William Hamilton, 1965

North Dakota State

James Nelson, 1961

A. Tetrault, 1951

Ohio State

Thomas Albany, 2008

Aram Bedrosian, 1951

Spencer Berg, 1956

Richard Cope, 1954

Robert Dewald, 1959

Hermon Fagley, 1958

James Finney, 1940

Harold Herd, 1955

Quintin Linn, 1963

Russell McDonald Ph.D., 1948

Donald Neff Ph.D, 1952

David Ray, 1983

Oklahoma State

Burnis Arnold, 1946

Jerry Bailes MD 1943

Joe Baker, 1947

Harold Bauman, 1947

Sheldon Bellmon, 1948

Max Berry, 1954

Chester Buchanan, 1953

William Carson, 1947

Hal Churchill, 1943

Huey Claybrook DVM, 1957

Ralph Crall, 1951

Bob Day, 1949

Stanley Deewall, 1950

Billy Dyer, 1949

Thomas Francis, 1997

James Francisco, 1941

Jay Franklin, 1975

Joseph Frey MD 1953

Edward Graves Jr., 1946

Bobby Greenwood, 1948

Todd Griffith, 1989

Billy Gibson USAF, 1954

Randal Hancock, 1948

Lloyd Hawkins, 1939

Morris Hill DVM, 1950

Duron Howard, 1947

Walter Jackson, 1943

Gary Jarvis USN 1958

William Koos, 1947

Gerald McNeill, 1942

James Merveldt, 1952

Darren Moore, 1986

Wilber Moyer, 1951

Tom O’Loughlin, 1953

Don Pimperton, 1953

Ray Powell, 1948

Calvin Puckett, 1947

George Rainbolt, 1946

J. Reimer, 1951

Walter Roberts, 1947

Dewey Rounds, 1953

Leslie Sallee, 1950

Irvin Schmidt, 1952

James Seikel, 1941

Orval Smith, 1950

Jack Southall DVM, 1941

Marvin Taylor, 1939

Howard Terry Sr., 1971

Samuel Victor Sr., 1943

Hardy Wheeler, 1941

Johnny Whittaker VMD, 1970

Robert Williams, 1940

Dale Wooderson, 1952

Oregon State

Wilford Rock, 1948

Penn State

Louis Galliker, 1954

David Geise, 1966

Arthur Moeller, 1963

Paul Orner, 1949

Sydney Smith, 1958

Laurence Spencer Jr., 1959

Ralph Watts, 1950

Purdue

Robert Caldwell, 1942

Paul Lake, 1958

Jon Love, 1972

George Mears, 1972

Gale Rhoads, 1980

David Thompson, 1962

Franklin Wright, 1956

Rutgers

John Smith, 1961

South Dakota State

State Richard Behm, 1971

Gary Jackson, 1964

Southern Illinois

Randy Meyer, 1985

Daniel Wellenreiter, 1990

Tennessee-Knoxville

Joe Davis, 1968

Donald Eden, 1968

Robert Farmer, 1952

Gerald Jarrell, 1974

Billy Joyner, 1960

Burl Long Ph.D. 1959

Billy Murphy, 1951

Bobby Raines, 1954

Vermont

Larry Myott, 1966

Virginia Tech

Philip Reid, 1975

Washington State

Alexander Alvord, 1952

Blake Nelson, 2007

Justin Shahan, 1993

West Virginia

Lanty McNeel, 1961

Western Illinois

Louis Blank, 1965

Western Kentucky

Troy Dupin, 1987

Billy Miles, 2016

Steven Tays, 1990

Wisconsin-Madison

Aaron Anderson, 1983

James Crowley Jr., 1973

Merlin Horn, 1951

Roger Stauffacher, 1957

Wisconsin-Platteville

Karl Cornelius, 1989

Robert Cotter Jr., 1979

Michael Grulke, 1990

Jerome Hendrickson, 1983

Jeffrey Klever, 2003

Lloyd Linden, 1982

Roy Luedtke Jr., 1976

James McComish, 1973

Frederick Oomens, 1994

Joseph Smolenski, 2010

Dean Strauss, 1990

William Wesp, 1972

Wisconsin-River Falls

Cole Berra, 2018

Q & AGR

FARMING OR AG BUSINESS? DAVE MAURER DOES BOTH

Alpha Gamma Rho Regional Vice President-Central Region

Dave Maurer grew up trying to decide if he would have a career in business or in farming. As it turned out, he didn’t have to choose. He has done both for nearly 40 years. Dave grew up on his family’s central Illinois grain farm. This year will be his 45th crop and 13th year as manager and operator. Dave also is in his 37th year working for Corteva Agriscience (formerly Dow Chemical Ag, DuPont Ag and Pioneer Seed). A recipient of the company’s Marketing Excellence Award, he is now Commercial Manager for the Professional Pest Management and Turf & Ornamental businesses.

Dave received a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Illinois in 1984 and serves on the university’s Agricultural and Consumer Economics advisory board. He joined Alpha Chapter in 1980 and later served as Noble Ruler. Dave was named to the Atius and Senior 100 leadership Honoraries. He served as a State FFA Officer, is an American Farmer Degree recipient and received the 2020 Illinois Foundation FFA Distinguished Service Award. Dave and his wife Linda have two daughters, Jenn and Sarah.

Why do you serve AGR as a national volunteer?

Four primary experiences shaped my life and put me on a path to help me achieve the personal and professional success I am fortunate to enjoy today: Growing up on a farm, FFA, University of Illinois and AGR. I experienced all four because others before me created them and made them life-changing for me. I continue to support all four to help create similar life-changing experiences for others. I served four years on the Alpha Chapter Corporation Board and for the last 12 years as Regional Vice President for the Central Region. I also support the Educational Foundation of AGR.

Which leadership ideas do you emphasize with chapter leaders?

Fortunately, chapter leadership teams mostly work on issues that are not contentious. However, the few they do deal with, if handled poorly, can have a very negative impact on the chapter. A great tool for difficult issues is to use the rule of “80% agreement/100% commitment” for team decisions. This means the team needs to identify a solution with 80% team agreement. If short of 80%, the team must discover a better solution. When the 80% agreement solution is identified, the ENTIRE team needs to be 100% committed to it. Team members in the minority cannot weaken the team decision by sharing they didn’t support the decision. Another lesson I share is “it’s hard to be down on what you’re in on.” The phrase applies when a leadership

team is addressing a difficult issue. The idea is to engage as many members as possible, either by vote or by voice. Fewer members will be “down on” it if they feel they were “in on” the process that led to the team decision.

I’ve learned that the best quality of life comes from finding a career path, a personal life journey, and a work life balance you truly enjoy. Many people spend much of their work life aspiring to achieve a particular career position while not really enjoying the actual work that they did or the work life balance it required. They were doing it only to reach their goal. Don’t just work and live to reach the destination. Enjoy the journey.

What other life lessons can you share?

My grandfather’s formal education only went through the 6th grade. But he always joked that he had a Ph.D. — a Plow Handle Degree. What he did was read and learn his entire life. Even at age 100 he would share with me things that he had learned. Career success requires continuous learning. College is a great opportunity to “learn how to learn”!

Another lesson I learned is to build a support network for guidance, but to make your own decisions. My father joined a non-ag fraternity, valued the experience and strongly felt I should do the same. I did not follow his advice. I joined AGR because AGR was better than what I saw at other fraternities. Over time, my father not only appreciated my decision, but he also told me on my last Dad’s Weekend that if he were to do it all over again, he would join AGR!

“Use the rule of 80% agreement/ 100% commitment for team decisions”

The COVID Comma

family to this awful virus as we mourn the loss of all brothers.

We have all experienced a pause or a COVID Comma. Because of the many changes our chapters have seen in the past two years, it has been hard for alumni to engage. We are social beings and the brothers of AGR are no different. I encourage all of you, that if you have taken this pause engaging with our collegiates, please reach out to them. If you have not been involved, or moved away from your home chapter, engage with a chapter closest to you or volunteer with the National Fraternity. I assure you, the feeling of giving back is one that makes your day, week, or year better.

Being apart from AGR brothers has taken a toll on

us as it has you. Through the bond of brotherhood, we can work on bringing back the feeling of AGR before COVID-19. Although the Fraternity has gone through many changes, some of which may be around for a long time, it is only through the strength of the Promise of AGR we can continue to move forward in this time of constant change.

The great work of our volunteer leaders continues to amaze me. I watch them fundraise for a chapter house campaign. Cook burgers for a philanthropy event. Invite our collegiate brothers to their homes for a Super Bowl party. Travel with them to a Leadership Seminar. Their great efforts go on and on.

Can it be a lot of work… Of course… But again, you are helping shape the lives of our collegiate brothers and Make Better Men . They need your support more now than ever. Certainly, if one of your brothers calls asking to contribute to a scholarship fund, if you can give, please do. But if you can give any of your time, that is worth its weight in gold. We need more alumni involvement to help

steward our men in the right direction before that direction goes too far off course.

So, take this spring, and consider your involvement with Alpha Gamma Rho. Maybe it is time to help make a difference. Ask someone who does spend time with our men and start small. But the key is just to start!

For more information and to discover how you can get involved, contact the Home Office by phone 816-891-9200; email agr@alphagammarho.org; or the web at www. alphagammarho.org.

We need more alumni involvement to help steward our men in the right direction before that direction goes too far off course.

Leadership Seminars

Since 1997, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, in partnership with The Educational Foundation, has dedicated resources to provide our collegiate brothers with numerous educational, leadership and social opportunities designed to Make Better Men. The Leadership Seminar experience has continued to grow over the years to help brothers sharpen their personal skills to be effective leaders in their chapter, on their campus and in their community.

From its humble beginnings, Leadership Seminars have evolved from heavily depending on National Fraternity leaders and volunteers to present various sessions on chapter best practices, financial management and leadership through integrity, to a professionally managed and facilitated program with a central curriculum at its core. To meet the ever-changing

needs of our members, a Steering Committee was established to analyze the overall effectiveness of the Seminars, adjust the focus of educational content where needed, and identify new learning outcomes for attendees to become more familiar with. In 2005, Alpha Gamma Rho was proud to establish the partnership with Sigma Alpha Sorority which opened the doors for more like-minded future agricultural leaders to come together to learn and grow from each other. Today, the Leadership Seminars are jointly hosted by both organizations and interact with nearly 800 individuals on an annual basis. While each year has a different theme, the purpose of the Seminars remains steadfast, which is to focus on helping each attendee become a confident and impactful leader in their respective organization.

SAVE THE DATE

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the now in-person National Convention and reconnect with brothers after a long awaited four years. The 2022 National Convention will maintain the theme used in the 2020 Virtual National Convention of Find Your Forward. It will be held in downtown Milwaukee near the River Walk, the Milwaukee Public Market and more!

Brothers will have the opportunity to network with other AGRs and agricultural businesses from across the country at the Career Fair. Witness the 2022 Hall of Fame inductions and explore the Milwaukee area.

We look forward to seeing you there! Save the date and start planning your trip to “The Other Coast.” Take advantage of National Convention and all of its opportunities to Find Your Forward in July 2022.