Alpha Theta Crescent

Transcription

1 Alpha Theta Crescent Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity Winter Noble Ruler Report Maryland Brothers, The fall semester has already past us by, and time has really flown for me in my final semester as Noble Ruler. As a Chapter, we have been very busy every week with many different activities, including many socials with Alpha Delta Pi, Zeta Tau Alpha, and many others. The executive board has worked very hard to make sure that plans were made and fulfilled. We have just elected a group of gentlemen to take over the executive board and I could not be more excited to see all of the young men take steps to lead this fraternity in the right direction. I will be interested to see how all of the new leaders transition into their positions, but with the help of other brothers, this group has great potential. This chapter has grown significantly since I joined, and I believe that we have the potential to keep steady growth in the years to come. We currently have forty brothers, which is a phenomenal number when looking in years past. Although my time as Noble Ruler is short, I am looking forward to helping out the fraternity in any way and see what the future holds for it. Fraternally, Chris Hinder #1297 New Brother s search for history pays off As a new a member of Maryland s Alpha Gamma Rho Chapter, I was always curious about the founding of our chapter, and the history of AGR as a whole. Trying to find out history, particularly about our chapter, was very difficult unless through word of mouth or something framed on the house wall. One day brother Sean Quinn and I began discussing the little history we knew on the way back from a hunting trip. It occurred to us that we knew very little about where our fraternity had come from. This is crucial not only moving the chapter forward but also engraining what it means to be a part of AGR in each member. I decided to do a little online research, which after a few hours yielded Brother Henry David Russell s initiation shingle from October 1928, one of our Founding Fathers. I know very little about this brother and I am continuing to do research. The certificate now hangs in the chapter library. Mason Graham #1325 What s inside Building a Better Tomorrow Meet the New Brothers of AGR And More...

2 Alumni President Report Brothers, Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you will miss them. That quote sums up my feelings about our impending capital campaign to remodel our chapter house at 7511 Princeton Avenue. Over the last few years your Circa 1985 alumni board has kept you informed about the many challenges we have faced in keeping Alpha Theta a viable entity at the University of Maryland. We have made necessary improvements to our house as needed and were able to responsibly afford. You also know we had successfully appealed a very oppressive real estate tax assessment at a time when our finances were challenged. Most importantly, we have rebuilt the collegiate chapter back into a fine group of young men you would be proud of and who represent Alpha Gamma Rho very well at the University of Maryland. We also have an excellent alumni board whose members faithfully attend our monthly meeting and give their time to making sure we keep our chapter and alumni corporation on track. Dave Roles is currently serving as alumni advisor and Gail Yeiser, known to all in Maryland agriculture and beyond, serves as faculty advisor. Both do a tremendous job. Completing the team is Logan Yearsley who serves as House Director. Logan previously had worked at National AGR and recently moved to the area exploring new opportunities. Having Logan on board has been a tremendous help in so many ways too numerous to list here. With this alumni board, advisor team and having successfully completed these important goals, I believe we have created a powerful synergy for Alpha Theta at the University of Maryland. This has brought us to the next logical step in ensuring Alpha Theta continues to have a viable future and that is an extensive remodeling of our chapter house. As authorized by the alumni vote at our annual meeting at Founders Day this year, we have contracted with a fundraising company called Pennington and Company. Their initial task has been to conduct a feasibility study to assess the achievability of our fundraising goal based on our proposed remodeling plans. Aaron Parker, consultant with Pennington and Company, may have visited with many of you to get your views on Alpha Theta and our future. Thank you to the many alumni who took this opportunity to give feedback to Aaron. We received Pennington and Company s feasibility study report on November 19. A report on that is included in this Crescent. As an undergrad, like all of you, I read the history of Alpha Theta s founders starting the chapter at the University of Maryland. Reading about the chapter s start, it seemed to me at the time that it was such a natural and inevitable thing for the chapter to be successfully established and a house built to house the brothers. But I can now imagine they had their challenges just as we do today. But they overcame those challenges and as a result provided us with the chapter we have all enjoyed being part of. I am proud to be part of a new beginning in Alpha Theta s history and to do my part in paying it forward. We are always open to new alumni joining our alumni board. It s an exciting time to be part of the alumni board and we welcome the new energy that comes with new additions. Please feel free to call or me to discuss. Fraternally Submitted, Bill Allen #992 billallen9921@comcast.net AGR brings Ducks Unlimited to UMD Alpha Gamma Rho has spear headed the new University of Maryland Ducks Unlimited Chapter. Ducks Unlimited is a conservation group dedicated to preserving wetlands and agricultural land for waterfowl habitat. Many people who join Ducks Unlimited are hunters or conservationist, and have a vested interest in preserving wetlands. This group has begun holding monthly meetings in the Alpha Gamma Rho house and welcomes others from the University who are not brothers. This group will shed positive light of Alpha Gamma Rho around campus and could possibly be a successful recruitment tool. Through Ducks Unlimited we could find potential brothers that are interested in agriculture and conservation, but haven t heard of Alpha Gamma Rho or met any brothers of the Alpha Theta Chapter. Sean Quinn #1321

3 AGNR, continuing good growth in more ways than one! The past five years serving as the faculty/staff advisor for Alpha Theta has been a very rewarding experience. As many of you know, I ve had a long affiliation with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and I know how valuable a strong alumni base is to both. This fall, I was overwhelmed to see the addition of so many new Brothers enriching the complement of returning Brothers. Seeing the next generation of some of my Maryland classmates and former students in the College is very rewarding and bodes well for the future of both the fraternity and the College. AGNR faculty and staff have worked to re-establish connections with some of our traditional audiences while also welcoming students without traditional agriculture backgrounds to the diverse programs in our college. With the popularity of the buy local trend of food consumption, AGNR has been the beneficiary of increasing numbers of students wanting to learn more about where their food comes from as well as the delicate balance of how all food systems work together. With majors including nutrition and food science, plant science, and animal sciences, agricultural resource economics, and environmental science and technology, AGNR has become home for a steadily growing number of undergraduates. One of the many exciting programs that has drawn the attention of students across campus is the Terp Farm program, conducted in collaboration with the campus office of sustainability and dining services. Vegetables are being grown at the College s research facility at Upper Brothers with Dean Wei of AGNR Marlboro that supply dining halls on campus. AGNR students participating in Terp Farm are highly engaged in all phases of the program, including making decisions on which crops to grow as well as learning production and harvest techniques. Additionally, this past fall marked the official approval of Agriculture Forward at Maryland. In the program, students in the two-year Institute of Applied Agriculture can transfer seamlessly into the four year program while also completing their two year certificate. It is very gratifying to see Agriculture Forward approved and implemented after many years of work towards this goal. AGNR leadership believes in providing the highest quality academic programs for our students while maintaining rigorous research programs and maintaining upto-date outreach programs through University of Maryland Extension. This balance of the traditional land grant missions of undergraduate education, research, and outreach presents great opportunities for creativity to keep AGNR programs timely and responsive. I encourage you to visit the College website at to see the breadth and depth of student, faculty and staff accomplishments. Sincerely, Gail Poffenberger Yeiser Faculty Adviser

4 2014 Etiquette Dinner busting at the seams! The basics of good manners in an interview, work, or informal social setting has been the message of the etiquette dinner for the past five years. While there s a formal presentation, the banter back and forth about what to do in specific situations has been a gratifying and intriguing highlight of the program over the years. An additional reward this fall was to see the basement of the Alpha Theta house FULL with Brothers and their guests from Sigma Alpha. The continued growth in membership is a tribute to both groups! A special visitor this year was Dr. Cheng-i Wei, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who joined the group to share some of his experiences in dining situations as well as his experiences with the Alpha Gamma Rho Brothers. Wei noted that while he was not a member of a fraternity, he believes it is important to have a home and house where you can all be together, especially to eat together. Wei thanked the Brothers for their enthusiasm for AGNR programs and all the help they ve been at Ag Day, AGNR Open House, AGNR s tailgate and other events where they ve been the go-to group of student leaders. He challenged all to keep telling the AGNR story to their friends at home and encourage others to attend Maryland. Campus Farm Revitalization Just days ago the ground was first broken on the campus farm, a sign of the huge changes to come. Many of you I m sure have great memories of the farm when it was new and great. Students used to work on the farm and the dairy was actually operational. However, time has been weighing heavily on the farm lately, which is why we are all excited to see the revitalization project begin. You may be aware that the Dairy, housed in Turner Hall, was installed in part by the help of Alpha Gamma Rho members, however as of this year the Dairy has been moved into a corner of Stamp. At first I was upset to hear that we were losing such a big part of our history. However so many of our alumni have donated to help fund the new farm that it very nearly is ours. It is a point of pride for the University and now it will be a small reminder of how small roots can bear grand fruits. The new farm will boast a large teaching-pavilion and a beautiful show ring with more seating. All of the animal runs are being redone and organized into a much more efficient layout. Most importantly, the silo that has stood tall and proud since the farms birth will be preserved as a reminder of where we all come from. Fraternally Submitted, N. Salvatore Millington #1289 Student Representative of the Campus Farm Revitalization Committee Alpha Theta Chapter Online Find us on Facebook and strengthen your bond with your brothers. Search for Alpha Gamma Rho Alumni - University of Maryland and reconnect today! Whether or not you re on Facebook, you can always stop by our website to find out the latest news from our chapter. Visit today!

5 Building a Better Tomorrow In August, the Alumni Board engaged the consulting firm Pennington & Co. to advise and assist us on the proposed capital campaign for the renovation of the chapter house. In September and October, Pennington conducted a Feasibility Study to determine the interest and support of Alpha Theta alumni for the full renovation of the chapter house. Pennington assessed the potential support of a capital campaign for the estimated $1.8 MM cost of the renovation as per the design plan approved at Founder's Day in April. During this study, Pennington interviewed, mostly in person, a representative group of alumni from all decades from the 1950's to the present. The Board received the findings of the feasibility study on November 18. We were encouraged that Alpha Theta alumni are overwhelmingly interested in the success of our chapter, understand the need to provide safe and competitive housing for the active chapter, and are willing to support a capital campaign to renovate the chapter house. However, we also learned from the study that a number of alumni have concerns about the scope and cost of the proposed renovation plan. There was also expressed a desire for more consistent communication from the chapter, and a desire to have more confidence that there will be sufficient enrollment in the College of Agriculture in the coming decades to sustain the membership of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at the University of Maryland. Over the next weeks, we will be working with our architect to adjust the scale and cost of the project, developing a finance plan that will include both fundraising and debt service, and working with the collegiate chapter to deliver more consistent alumni communication with enhanced content. We were extremely pleased with the number of alumni willing to volunteer for a capital campaign, especially in a leadership role. This reinforces what those of us who interact with the undergraduates regularly already know: the brothers of Alpha Theta are an impressive group of young men that are worthy of our support. We can continue the long tradition of Making Better Men by investing in the future of Alpha Theta. We will keep you informed as we finalize our plans and proceed forward. Fraternally Submitted, Phil Brundrett Crescent Publishing Service This issue of the Alpha Theta Chapter Crescent was published through the Crescent Publishing Service (CPS). This is a special project of the Alpha Gamma Rho Home Office to assist chapters in improving communications with alumni. Chapters pay a small fee for the service below the actual production cost to encourage regular contact. This project is made possible by donations from alumni like you. Please consider contributing.

6 A faith born not of words, but of deeds! This past month, one of our new brothers of the Alpha Theta Chapter, Dane Grossnickle, took hold of the opportunity to run for one of the six National Officer positions in the National FFA Organization. Dane has been a part of this organization for seven years, advocating for premiere leadership, personal growth, and career success within Agricultural Education. Among 42 other candidates selected across the nation, Dane went through a five-day behavior interview process that tested his character, knowledge of American education, demonstrative understanding of the agricultural industry, student facilitation skills, and extemporaneous speaking ability. After three months of speaking with stakeholders, government officials, and industry representatives, Dane s work paid off. Although he was not chosen as one of the six officers to serve, according to his scores, he came closer to receiving a National Office than any other Maryland National Officer Candidate within the last 32 years. The goal was not to achieve a position, but to take the chance to pursue the journey, Dane said, the leadership and knowledge I gained was outstanding and will prove valuable in my future as an Agricultural Educator. We commend Dane on his drive to take risks to achieve aspiring goals, and look forward to seeing his leadership unfold as he becomes a lasting part of Alpha Gamma Rho. Historic Growth in Making Better Men This fall we had a great rush class come through the house. We started out with around twenty or so guys come to rush events. Many stopped by the house for a tour and to meet the brothers. We extended 12 bids at the end of our rush week and they have been a great addition to our brotherhood. This has been one of the most active group of brothers in the house since I have been here. Several of the new brothers are thought so highly of that they were elected onto the executive board. With more rush classes like this one, I can see the future being very bright for the Alpha Theta Chapter. Fraternally Submitted, Jack Boniface #1294 Cows, fair food, music and AGR fellowship... What more could you ask for? We had it all at the AGR reunion gathering at the 2014 Maryland State Fair. We had two dozen people in attendance for this casual and informal gathering. There were many tales told about AGR memories and reliving those glory days. We hope to make this a yearly event and expect to grow it in attendance. To add some great news about this next year, we just received word that the AGR Educational Foundation has approved our grant proposal to receive funds for the event. The plan is to reach out to regional AGR brothers and invite them to attend. The Maryland State Fair is a great melting pot of the Mid- Atlantic Region. This makes it a great location to not only hold a local alumni gathering, but to be inclusive and have brothers for other AGR chapters that live close attend. Please feel free to share any ideas on how we can make it better.

7 Meet the new Brothers of AGR Dane Grossnickle #1315 This is my first year at the University of Maryland transferring from my home county s community college in Frederick, Maryland. I am currently a junior in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources majoring in Agriculture Science and Technology. After I receive my bachelor s degree, I plan to pursue a master s degree in Education and Administration in order to become a certified teacher in Agricultural Education at the high school level. Within the Alpha Theta Chapter I am excited to be part of a brotherhood serving the industry my family s livelihood is based in and exploring new levels of leadership. Justin Hipp #1316 I joined AGR mainly because I felt welcome the moment I walked in. Although my father is an alumni of the Alpha Theta Chapter, I didn't know much about AGR. But as I stuck around and got to know the brothers, I began to grow fonder of the brotherhood. Despite the diversity, this is the most tightly knit group of people I know. We treat each other as if we were true brothers, no matter what town you are from, your background, or your major. I am majoring in Sustainable Agriculture and I am in my first semester at the University of Maryland. I am from Ellicott City, Howard County. Zachary Bradley #1317 I am currently a junior at the University of Maryland studying environmental health. I joined Alpha Gamma Rho to meet likeminded people and for the professional opportunities the fraternity can offer. I am excited to serve as the incoming VNR of Scholarship. I also like long walks on the beach. Star gazing is a habit that I just can t break. I also don t tend to say much about myself so the brothers were kind enough to add a few additional thoughts. James Hancock #1318 I joined Alpha Gamma Rho in the fall of I was interested in this fraternity because of my childhood background in agriculture. For the past ten years I have been living on my family farm in La Plata, Maryland. I have raised and shown livestock during my time in 4-H. Although my major at the University of Maryland is economics, I wanted to get back in touch with agriculture. This was the main reason for accepting the bid to join the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. David Floyd #1319 I am from Cambridge Md. I'm a freshman Agricultural Science and Technology major. I joined AGR to promote agriculture and have fun. As this was all I submitted for my bio, the brothers were kind enough to add some additional thoughts. Such as, that I enjoy showing off my guns that I have bulked up doing 12 ounce curls. I also style my hair in an effort to try to bring back bowl cuts. Matthew Antonio #1320 I am a freshman and am studying agriculture business management. I show and raise Black Angus cattle. I hope to one day own or work on an Angus farm in the future. I am best known for my pickup lines while wearing a banana costume. I would say more, but I have to split Sean Quinn #1321 I am from Howard County, Maryland. I am a proud new member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. I am a sophomore at the University of Maryland. I am majoring in Landscape Architecture. I look forward to spending the next few years with my new brothers. I hope to form lifelong friendships, and better the agricultural community. I was recently elected to the position of VNR of Membership Development, which I look forward to taking over next spring. I plan to inform new initiates in the spring of what it means to be a member of Alpha Gamma Rho and the history of the Alpha Theta Chapter. A rich history in which I am very proud to now be a part of. Emmett Brew #1322 I was born and raised in Highland, Maryland. I am the youngest of six children with four brothers and one sister. I graduated from River Hill High School, and was originally planning on joining my father's business right out of high school. After working full time for three years, I learned the hard way that it wasn't something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life. I have always had a huge interest in agriculture but little background. So I decided it was something I wanted to purse in education, to see what else it had to offer. My family had the biggest impact on my decision to attend

8 Meet the new Brothers of AGR University of Maryland's Institute of Applied Agriculture. Currently my major is in Sustainable Agriculture, but I hope to transfer majors in order to receive a bachelor s degree in Agriculture Science and Technologies. The Alpha Gama Rho Fraternity has helped me to be more involved with something I am already passionate about, but still new to. It has enabled me with the opportunity for networking, job and internship opportunities, and the chance to give back to the local agriculture community. Robert Stahl III #1323 I am from Hughesville, MD. I'm majoring in Fire Science and want to become a paid Firefighter or an EMT. I wanted to join Alpha Gamma Rho because my father and uncle were both brothers of Alpha Gamma Rho and I wanted to be part of the brotherhood. My father has been bringing me around the house since I could remember. So joining this organization and getting to make some of my own stories to tell my son was all I could talk about. I had always heard all the stories of my father and can t resist telling the brothers about how things used to be. Collin Talbox #1324 I am a junior at the University of Maryland. I am a Mechanical Engineering major in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. I joined Alpha Gamma Rho with the intention of becoming an overall better and more involved student. Prior to joining, I had the luxury of experiencing an atmosphere like no other through this fraternity and with old ties to agriculture through my family and friends, I knew Alpha Gamma Rho was the perfect fit for me. Mason Grahame #1325 I am currently a sophomore studying Agricultural and Resource Economics. I grew up on a small farm in Calvert County, Maryland. I originally did not have plans of studying agriculture, but I became interested in preserving the livelihood of farmers and watermen by striving for sustainable markets. I am looking forward to becoming the next VNR of Recruitment for the Alpha Theta Chapter. Christopher Snyder #1326 I just joined the Alpha Gamma Rho Chapter at the University of Maryland this semester. I am currently a sophomore and I am looking to become a Landscape Architect. The reason I joined AGR is mainly because of the similar backgrounds that everyone has. I grew up on a horse farm in Sykesville, Maryland and I have a strong attachment to horses and other animals. Everyone is from all different places, but we each still maintain a strong connection to agriculture. I also believe that AGR will help me in my future and allow me to get a head start in the networking world. I believe this brotherhood is different from anything else and I'm proud to be a part of it. Hogan wins with the help of AGRs Brothers pictured are: Chris Cavey and Trey Hanna with Governor Elect Hogan This past summer, I interned for the Larry Hogan Campaign for Governor of Maryland. I learned of this great opportunity from Alpha Theta Alum, Mr. Chris Cavey, who served as the Campaign Director for Larry Hogan. As my internship progressed, I became immersed in state politics and political campaigns in general. My time was split between answering phone calls, planning campaign events, entering polling data, making signs, and visiting Maryland towns with now Governor-elect Larry Hogan. From the mountains of Garrett County to the Atlantic Ocean of the Eastern Shore, the personal experience of traveling throughout Maryland with the next Governor was unbelievable. In the recent election, Larry Hogan won his race handily and thus will become the next Republican Governor of Maryland. Trey Hanna #1282

9 Alpha Theta reaches out... and shows off some dancing skills This past semester our Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho has made more connections with campus life. We have broken the boundaries that have previously held us back by not being a part of the IFC. Through aggressive efforts, we have been able to secure relationships with not only more on campus agricultural clubs and organizations, but greek life as well. We have had more than ten events with other sororities and fraternities this semester. Including socials held at the AGR Chapter house, to co-sponsoring sorority philanthropy events. We co-sponsored a dance competition in which our newest initiate class participated, that raised thousands of dollars for cystic fibrosis. We have also maintained our outstanding relationship with our sister sorority, Sigma Alpha, having multiple social and team building events, making them an active part of our chapter s social and professional life. This semester has been a turning point for this fraternity. With a growing number of committed brothers we now have the means to move forward, and make Alpha Gamma Rho the best Fraternity on this campus. Next semester we plan to host our own philanthropy event raising money for a meaningful cause, which will not only broaden our on campus reach, but altogether positively impact the agricultural community we are a part of. Learning what becoming a 21st century farmer means I joined farmers, landowners and agriculture supporters at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore s 11th Annual Small Farm Conference to network and learn about new opportunities and strategies that promote farm profitability and sustainability. It was especially helpful for people who have an interest in farming, but have little to no farming background. The conference was more professional and informative than I imagined. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the different vendors who were set up at the conference and were eager to speak with me to learn more about my personal interests. The conference was a great source of networking, where a student who is interested in local agriculture could meet many different people and businesses that have a role in local agribusiness. Along with getting a chance to network, the conference gave me the opportunity to learn more about the numerous paths beginning farmers can take to get started, and it opened the door to different resources available for beginning farmers. As a first year IAA student majoring in Agricultural Business Management the conference was extremely informative, great chance to network, and I m glad I took advantage of this opportunity. Emmett Brew #1322 ALPHA THETA CHAPTER MARYLAND We hope you enjoyed the winter 2014 Alpha Theta Chapter Crescent

10 Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity North Ambassador Drive Kansas City, MO NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Kansas City, MO Permit No RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Alpha Theta Chapter Crescent Alumni News Wanted The next issue of the Alpha Theta Chapter Crescent should be full of news about alumni brothers. Please send us your updated contact information and the latest on your accomplishments (marriage, family, jobs, etc.) to: Alpha Theta Chapter, Alpha Gamma Rho, Attn: Alumni Relations, 7511 Princeton Ave., College Park, MD Recruitment Recommendation Please help us recruit the best of men. If you know someone who would make a good addition to our fraternity, please let us know so we can contact him and enhance our brotherhood. Name: Age: Address: address: Phone - home: School: Classification/Major: Comments: Your name and address: Please Mail to: Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Theta Chapter, Attn: Recruitment, 7511 Princeton Ave., College Park, MD 20740