Alpha Gamma Rho - Epsilon

Howdy,

 

I wanted to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to see this incredible AGvocacy video, written and performed by Farmers Fight lead Advocate Jasmine Dillon.  Jasmine wrote this spoken-word piece as a part of our efforts to further spread agricultural awareness to the masses, and her modern style appeals to today's target audience while emphasizing just how vital of a role modern agriculture plays in everyone's lives.  She presents a truly moving presentation- watch and see for yourself.

 

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Howdy!

 

As I attempt to start this latest report of the chapter's events and affairs, all I can say is WOW.  It's been too long since I last posted an update (sorry, y'all), but we've been so busy with all the dynamic events we've been planning, preparing, and hosting that finding the time to write one of these doesn't happen too often.

 

First and foremost, I want to applaud the Beta Nu brothers on coordinating the first annual Farmers Fight! Ag Advocacy Day on the Texas A&M campus.  To see this idea grow from a small committee meeting at the end of last semester, into a full-fledged student movement that mobilized 20 ag-based student organizations and over 200 student advocates has been an incredible experience, and I'm beyond grateful to have been a part of it.  Here's a picture from our setup during Farmers Fight! on April 12th:

 

 

That's 8 Beta Nu AGvocates, 2 Sigma Alpha AGvocates, and Mr. Larry Graham of Southwest Dairy Farmers, who brought the Mobile Dairy Classroom to campus.  Each of the four milking demonstrations he performed drew an interested crowd of students who were excited to learn more about just how their milk gets from cow to cup.  The first annual Farmers Fight! day was an immense success and achieved higher goals than we could've imagined.  The entire campus buzzed with the presence of the Farmers Fight advocate teams and their educational booths, and the movement received considerable publicity from various media sources throughout College Station and beyond.  A few ag industry representatives were even on hand to see just what we were doing for the advancement of agricultural education and awareness.  We spread our message to thousands of students, well achieving our goal of spreading Agricultural awareness and debunking harmful myths currently facing the ag industry.

 

That's a full post, I'd say.  Y'all be watching for more Beta Nu news, coming soon!

Thanks and Gig 'em,

Eric

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As 2011 ends and a new years begins, we too look to the future. An new crop of officers has been established and transitioned at the Gamma Beta chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho. While some brothers merely changed offices, others decided it was time to take charge and become the new leaders of the Gamma Beta chapter. 

On January 23, 2012, former Noble Ruler Corey Moomaw swore in the new incoming Noble Ruler, Jade Meinzer. Jade's first task as Noble Ruler was to then swear in the remaining VNR officers of 2012. This new class shows great promise and has the drive to be extremely successful in all matters relating to Gamma Beta and Alpha Gamma Rho. The new officer class is as follows:

 

VNR Recruitment - Jay Kindler

VNR Operations - Randy Sheffield

VNR Activities - Garrett Kahrs

VNR Finance - Kirk Woodruff

VNR Scholarship - Curtis Satran

VNR Planning - Frank Ringleman

VNR Membership Development - Jacob Holcomb

VNR Alumni Relations - Cole Mangers

 

Other positions filled for the 2012 year include:

Chaplain - Corey Moomaw

Bingo Liaison - Joe Penning

IFC Representatives - Mike Jack & Kevin Elpers

Webmaster - Craig Nations

 

While it is imperative to maintain a strong leadership foundation for growth and development, it is also equally important that we remember why we are in college to begin with. The last day of the 2011 Fall semester also meant the last day of college for some Gamma Beta brothers. Brothers Taylor Myers, Devin Spears, and Jared Grauerholz were moved to Alumni tonight, as they complete their tenure at Fort Hays State University. We wish them the best of luck in all future endeavors and are very honored that we were given an opportunity to know them and impact their lives. To new alumni Clayton Kershner, who transferred to a new school over winter break, we also wish the best of luck in his journey to a higher education.

With the 2012 Spring semester just underway, we hope that all brothers and friends of Alpha Gamma Rho continue to find success in all aspects of life; and better not only themselves, but all those whose paths they may cross. 

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In 1992, the men of Pi Chapter had the honor of initiating the founding members of the AGR

Colony at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. 

 

This action officially established the Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho and recognized those men who were instrumental in its formation.  Unfortunately, one man who played an instrumental role in the formation of the colony earned his degree the semester before the initiation ceremony took place and, thus, was not officially initiated as a member of Beta Sigma Chapter.

On February 19, 2011, almost twenty years after the installation of Beta Sigma, the men of Pi Chapter once again had the honor of initiating a member of Beta Sigma Colony--Scotty Duvall. 

 

Brother Duvall was that colony member who graduated and was never officially initiated.  The ceremony took place at the Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar in Ft. Worth, Texas.  The members from Pi Chapter participating in the initiation were Carson Horn, Kale Castner, Kyle Slagell, Clark Bixler, Brock Pittman, Mitchell Earl, and Josh Goff.  The initiation of Brother Duvall was arranged by Brother Cody Lane, Alpha Gamma Rho Regional Vice-President.

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My name is David Smith and I'm a current member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Beta Psi Fraternity at Delaware Valley College for the past couple of years we have been providing our brother with belt buckles to recognize that they are an Alpha Gamma Rho member.  As a fundraiser for our fraternity, I thought I would offer the belt buckle design that is copyrighted to us, to other members in Alpha Gamma Rho.  If you have an interest in this please contact me as soon as possible and I will be sure to send you pictures and more details on the belt buckle itself.  Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon. 

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Scholarships awarded by Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at NDSU are the result of generous financial contributions by the chapter's alumni in conjunction with the NDSU Development Foundation and the National AGR Educational Foundation.  Our alumni view their donations as an investment in tomorrow’s leaders of the diverse agriculture industry.  In total, Epsilon distributes over $6,000 annually in scholarship and award dollars to encourage students to improve their academic performance, pursue leadership development opportunities, and to explore agricultural careers.

 

Read more about our most recent scholarship winners HERE in the NDSU Spectrum.

 

Click HERE to read more about our Agriculture Leadership Scholarship & complete an application.

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 In past semesters at Epsilon, we’ve contributed to the community by doing various activities like picking up trash along our adopt-a-highway stretch, or selling wheat emptied from old samples from research plots and donating the proceeds to Farm Rescue. It’s been quite some time, however, since we’ve held our own special event at the house, and invited the public to help out. What better time to do this than our first semester living in the newly renovated house! Our idea was to hold a community food drive, and offer a meal and a house tour to anyone who came with a food item. We named the event “Farmers Feeding Fargo,” and it was a success as we collected 129 pounds of food. We also accepted money donations which were distributed to the Great Plains Food Bank ($180) and Farm Rescue ($154). We plan to continue these types of events in years to come as well as use our newly found experience to improve participation. A special thanks to all alumni who stopped by or donated money. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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The Fall 2010 semester marked the beginning of a new annual philanthropic event for the Beta Nu Chapter as members joined the National MS Society in its fight against Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in honor of friends, family, and alumni who have been diagnosed with the disease. 

 

Throughout the semester, Brothers solicited donations, sold t-shirts, and helped raise awareness about MS.  This year's semester-long effort to raise money for the National MS Society concluded last weekend with seven Brothers participating in a 5K Walk in The Woodlands, Texas.  The Beta Nu Chapter team raised a total of $1725, placing first in the school organizations category. 

 

In addition to participating in the walk in The Woodlands, Brothers also gathered information and established contacts with the National MS Society staff.  It is with great inspiration that the Brothers plan to sponsor and organize a similar annual event in the Bryan/College Station area benefiting the National MS Society.  Details about the Chapter's new annual philanthropic event will be made available in the Spring of 2011. 

 

 

Pictured above: Brothers Logan Leschper, Anthony Lopez, Travis Tippit, Matt Okeson, Wesley Tobola, and Jake Riley "Giving MS the Boot" at the 5K Walk in The Woodlands, Texas.

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Remembering Jerry Litton...Theta alumni initiated in 1958, Jerry served two terms as Noble Ruler in 1958 abd 1959.  

Gift to CAFNR honors Jerry Litton, class of '61

Jerry Litton, who tragically died in an aircraft accident in 1976 after winning a Democratic primary bid for United States Senator, will be honored by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri, his alma mater.

 

 

The Jerry Litton Fund for Agricultural Leadership will have several components: the Litton Lectureship will bring interesting speakers to campus, the Litton Fellowship will support faculty entrepreneurial activities, the Litton Scholarship will encourage top students to develop their leadership potential, and the Litton Agricultural Leadership Fellowship will help students to gain farm policymaking experience.

The $250,000 fund, announced in October, was endowed by the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation. The foundation supports agricultural, educational and athletic activities in memory of the Jerry Litton family.

"MU and CAFNR played a very important role in shaping Congressman Litton's career," said Edwin Turner, college fraternity brother and Vice President of the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation.

"His unparalleled leadership skills were developed as he participated in many on-campus activities. The resources offered by MU were equally invaluable to the incredible success of the Litton Charolais Ranch. Even though Jerry's life tragically ended at a very young age, he became known both nationally and internationally as an innovative spokesman for agriculture. It is only fitting that The Jerry Litton Fund for Agricultural Leadership be established at CAFNR."

 

 

The Littons were one of the first to take their Charolais on the road to shows across the country in an effort to draw attention to this new breed of cattle which ofered advantages to the American cattleman.

 

From a farm house to House of Representatives

Jerry Lon Litton was born in a farmhouse without plumbing or electricity near Lock Springs, Missouri, on May 12, 1937. During his youth, an accident disabled his father, so his mother supported the family by selling milk from the family's eleven cows. While a student at Chillicothe High School, Litton served as president of both the National Honor Society and the Chillicothe Chapter of Future Farmers of America. In 1956-57 the FFA elected him as national secretary.

Litton graduated from the MU College of Agriculture in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in agricultural journalism and a minor in economics. He returned to Chillicothe and joined his parents in a highly successful cattle-breeding business. Before he began his political career, he was active in promoting youth involvement in leadership in agriculture and rural communities.

In 1972, Litton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he advocated the rights of farmers and hardworking citizens. Often referred to as a "breath of fresh air in Washington," Litton impressed his colleagues with his honesty and his political incorruptibility. House Majority Leader Thomas "Tip" O'Neal claimed that in his 22 years in Congress he had never been more impressed by a freshman congressman than by Jerry Litton.

 

The Powerful Dialogue With Litton

The Congressional Club, which Litton conceived and organized in his district, sponsored a monthly television program, "Dialogue with Litton," that aired statewide. Open to the public, these meetings offered voters a chance to ask questions and state their concerns about political issues. For each show Litton invited a guest, including such prominent political figures as Senator Hubert Humphrey and Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, who said that he thought Litton would be President one day.

 

 

Guests on "Dialogue with Litton" included Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz, former Vice President Hubery Humphrey, President Ford's campaign manager Bo Callaway, FDR Jr., five democratic presidential candidates, Speaker of the House Carl Albert, and a host of other well known personalities.

Litton decided to seek the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Stuart Symington in 1976. He handily defeated the incumbent's son, James Symington, and former governor Warren Hearnes in the Democratic primary on August 3, 1976. That same evening, Litton, his wife, Sharon, and their two children, Linda and Scott, along with their pilot and the pilot's son, died in a plane crash just after takeoff from Chillicothe Airport en route to a victory celebration in Kansas City.

"Jerry Litton embodied what CAFNR would like to see in all of its graduates – a commitment to personal integrity, a strong work ethic and a passion to serve the community," said Thomas Payne, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. "In his all-too-short life, he inspired those he met to follow him in living these values."

 

Story by Randy Mertens

Photos: The Western Historical Manuscript Collection (University of Missouri / State Historical Society of Missouri)

Posted Oct. 20, 2010

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The men of Alpha Gamma Rho would like you to come and see their newly renovated house and help out local food shelves as winter is moving in fast! One food item per person will be donated and will be your ticket for a tour of our house. $2 will also get you a fresh grilled, tasty burger, and a good meal so come on out and bring all your friends! Also, feel free to invite whoever you'd like to this event.

 

What: Food Drive and Grill Out

When: Thursday, October 28, 2010 from 5:30-7pm

Where: Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity house, 1303 N. University Dr., Fargo

 

The forcast currently says 40 degrees and sunny. So dress warm as there will be lawn games availabe for play. Hope to see you there!

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On Tuesday, Oct. 26th, the men and women of Sigma Chi and Alpha Gamma Delta distributed paper bags in the Fargo community for community members to place nonperishable canned goods.  The men and women will be collecting the bags on Friday, Oct. 29th.  Community members can place the bags on their door steps to be collected.  The canned goods will go towards Fill the Dome, a youth led service project to fill the Fargo Dome with donations for the local food pantries.

 

For more information visit:

http://fillthedome.org/

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Several Pi Chapter Brothers were recognized during the 43rd Annual Career and Technology Education Summer Conference. The conference was held Aug. 2-3 at the Tulsa Convention Center.

Phil Berkenbile (Initiate 1061, 1977), State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, received Oklahoma CareerTech’s top award, the Francis Tuttle Career Excellence Award

The Francis Tuttle Award was established in honor of Francis Tuttle (Initiate 1323, 1990), former state director of the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education and “architect” of what is now called the CareerTech system. The award recognizes individuals whose careers exemplify Tuttle’s dedication to the development of people through career and technology education.

Berkenbile was also presented with the Stars of Excellence Award by the National Technical Honor Society. The Stars of Excellence Award recognizes those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the Oklahoma Chapter of NTHS.

Kent Boggs (Initiate 1781, 2007), executive secretary, Oklahoma FFA, received the Arch Alexander Award.

The Arch Alexander Award recognizes CareerTech educators who have made significant contributions to Oklahoma’s CareerTech system and applauds those who are progressive leaders in program and curriculum development and utilizing advanced technology in education.

Jeremy Zweiacker (Initiate 1469, 1995), State Tech Prep and Alliance Coordinator, received the New Professional Award as a potential leader in Oklahoma ACTE.

Dr Joe Williams, New Mexico State Univesity, was recognized with the Outstanding Board Member award.

 

For more information about the awards visit OkACTE Awards website

August 15, 2010

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Sigma Chi's 2nd Annual Fall Harvest is happening Thursday, October 21st!  

 

When: Thursday, Oct. 21st from 7p-9p

Where: Sigma Chi Chapter House (1250 12th St N, Fargo, ND)

What: Pumpkin Carving Contest and various other games

 

The event benefits the Hunstman Cancer Institute.  Everyone is invited! Register your team by checking out the Facebook Event here.

 

Contact Person: 

Cate Ekegren

Caitlin.Ekegren@ndsu.edu

 

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