Kappa Chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln participated at their State FFA Convention April 3 – April 5 in Lincoln, Nebraska, using it as a recruitment tool for potential Alpha Gamma Rho members.
Brother Easton Weber, Noble Ruler of Kappa Chapter, said the chapter sets up a booth for two days during the event, holds a luncheon and gives house tours to visiting FFA students to introduce them to AGR.
“We lost count around 500 because we ran out of food and we had to get more food,” Brother Weber said.
He said the event had over 5,000 FFA members in attendance, making it a huge opportunity for the chapter to expose them to Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity and how they could join when they graduated from high school.
The luncheon is held at the Kappa Chapter House and while they are there, students are offered a tour.
“When we get 500 kids going through our house, you don’t know who you’re going to pick up from that experience,” Brother Weber said.
He explained before the event, the chapter sent out emails to all of the state FFA advisors and they made a few social media posts to spread the word about the luncheon and the Chapter House Tours. They also utilized any connections to potential new members and others that were tied to AGR and agriculture to improve their turnout.
The tours were usually in groups of 3-10 students. They got to see the house and were given the basic information about Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity and how it strives to Make Better Men.
Brother Weber said hosting the luncheon is also a way for Kappa Chapter to give back to FFA since many of their members were also in FFA. He explained that although the entire chapter wasn’t involved with the overall convention and competition, many of them took some time to help as FFA volunteers.
“The whole idea is to just get the kids to see the house and spend time around our members,” Brother Weber said. “We really think that our members are a big advantage to our Fraternity.”
Kappa Chapter isn’t the only AGR chapter to hold similar events. Utilizing local agriculture events on campus or in the community can be a great resource for recruitment and alumni involvement. Many chapters look to their alumni for ideas for these events or to help with connecting the chapter to potential new members. Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity urges its chapters to connect with their local communities and agriculture organizations not just for recruitment purposes, but to Make Better Men and show how they can impact the world of agriculture.
