APRIL 2024 NEWSLETTER

Howdy Houston Aggie Moms,

This week is full of exciting events in College Station: Ring Day, Family Weekend, The Federation's HUGE Aggie Mom Boutique, Federation Spring Meetings and lots more!

While you're visiting your Aggie, volunteer at our Houston Boutique booth before or after you shop for "everything Aggie" from Aggie Mom clubs around the country who are raising funds for Aggie scholarships.

Learn more about The Federation of Aggie Moms' Clubs by serving as a Houston delegate at the business meeting on Friday evening and/or attend the general meeting Saturday morning. Deadline to register as a delegate is TOMORROW, 4/9, (details below).

We aren't finished yet in Houston, either! Join us for our May Fiesta general meeting and keep an eye on our calendar for more!

If you know of any new Aggie Moms, please reply to this message with their names and e-mail addresses so we can invite them to our Howdy Party in July (details below).

Thanks and Gig 'em,

Laura Spilman '93

President, Houston Aggie Moms' Club

laura.spilman@houstonaggiemoms.org

Houston Aggie Moms' Club - Home (membershiptoolkit.com)

AGGIE MOMS' BOUTIQUE - FAMILY WEEKEND

FRIDAY, 4/12, (10AM-4:30PM) - SATURDAY, 4/13, (10AM-4PM)

COLLEGE STATION: TAMU MSC - 2nd FLOOR BALLROOMS

Don't miss the huge annual Aggie Moms Boutique, coordinated by The Federation of Aggie Moms' Clubs, with no admission charge! All 113 Aggie Moms' Clubs are invited to sell items to raise scholarship funds.

This event is our second largest annual fundraiser. We offer a much wider assortment of items at this event than we do at our meetings and online!

Acclaimed artist, Benjamin Knox '90, will join us again on 4/13 to sign and personalize his prints purchased from our booth on 4/12 and 4/13. His autographed prints make very special graduation, Ring Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, birthday and other occasion gifts!

Saturday, 4/13, is our second tax-free day this year (besides auction). Make your dollars go even further by purchasing items from us and other clubs that have designated 4/13 (and/or 4/12) as their tax-free day(s)!

WE NEED YOU to volunteer for a few hours before or after you shop to help make this event another great success:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BA8AD22A7FF2-48438759-2024

Questions? Contact our Boutique VPs, Sonja Nitsch and Paige Herrin: sknitsch@yahoo.com or pherrin@cruiseplanners.com

SPECIAL OVERNIGHT OFFER IF YOU VOLUNTEER TO WORK 2+ TWO-HOUR BOUTIQUE SHIFTS!

STAY FRIDAY NIGHT, 4/12, AND/OR SATURDAY NIGHT, 4/13

Cara Reid, our Corresponding Secretary, and her husband, Mark, have generously offered for Houston Aggie Moms ONLY (no spouses/partners/students) to stay at their College Station VRBO at no charge on Friday and/or Saturday night if they volunteer at least two 2-hour shifts at our Houston booth at the Federation's Boutique!

The house is near the TAMU campus golf course, at 212 Redmond. The master has a king bed and shares a bathroom with another bedroom with two twin beds. Two additional bedrooms each have a queen bed and share a different bathroom. The leather sofa in the den folds out with a new mattress. A separate garage apartment on property has a queen bed and bathroom.

Cara will not charge you to stay but requests those who stay to split the $200 cleaning fee.

Note: the house is on the market, so please make the bed in the morning and keep your bags/belongings in a closet in case a showing might be scheduled during the day.

Sign up for your volunteer shifts https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BA8AD22A7FF2-48438759-2024 then contact Cara to reserve your space: 713-471-4449 or carareid@hotmail.com

SPRING FEDERATION MEETINGS

FRIDAY, 4/12, AND SATURDAY, 4/13

As the second largest Aggie Moms' Club, we have eight delegate spots at the Federation Business Meeting during which the 2024-25 Federation Board election will occur. Hear interesting speakers, like TAMU President Welsh and Chancellor Sharp, who share recent developments and meet Aggie Moms from many other clubs!

Not going to College Station? You can serve as a delegate via Zoom!

Friday, 4/12, 5:00PM - MSC, Gates Ballroom

No fee to attend; cash bar & hors d'oeuvres will begin at 4:30PM.

Click Here to Review the Business Meeting Standing Rules

Winter 2024 Business Meeting Minutes

Meet more Aggie Moms at the Federation General Meeting!

Saturday, 4/13, 9:00AM - MSC, Gates Ballroom

No fee to attend; breakfast & coffee will be served at 8:30am.

Winter 2024 General Meeting Minutes

Register for either (or both) meetings by TUESDAY, April 9th:

Click Here to Register for the Meetings In-Person or Zoom

If you register to be a delegate for the BUSINESS meeting, please reply to this message so we will know our spots are filled! Thank you!

TEXAS A&M FAMILY WEEKEND

FRIDAY, 4/12 - SUNDAY, 4/14

Check out all of the exciting events during Family Weekend:

Family Weekend Events (tamu.edu)

Another fun event for Aggie Dads: AGGIE DADS TAILGATE

(while you're shopping and volunteering at our Boutique booth!)

Saturday, 4/13, 11:00AM - corner of Olsen Blvd. & Tom Chandler

JUST AGGIE DADS Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1083455335714369/

FINALS CARE PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION

FRIDAY, 4/26, 10:00AM – 3:00PM

TAMU Hotel & Conference Center (177 Joe Routt Blvd.; College Station)

Tell your Aggie to keep an eye out for e-mails/texts the week leading up to distribution. Spring care package theme: "Let's Sweep those Finals!"

Would you like to help distribute College Station care packages? Hang out with other Houston Aggie Moms and make our Aggies' days! Please contact our Final Care Package VPs, Nancy Chassman and Katina Hargett at: carepackages@houstonaggiemoms.org

Galveston Aggies: Guess what??? Our Chaplain, Sally Janacek, offered to distribute orders on the Galveston campus on Saturday, 4/27. Time and location TBD. Please contact Nancy and Katina at carepackages@houstonaggiemoms.org if you would like your order to be taken to Galveston's campus. If not, Galveston orders must be picked up from Nancy and Katina in Houston.

MAY GENERAL MEETING

THURSDAY, 5/16 - 6:30PM

Let's celebrate another successful year together with a Fiesta theme, our new board installation, special gifts for moms of graduating Aggies and plenty of social time before we break for the summer!

We will also vote to add Zhen Lin to our 2024-2025 board for the position of 3rd VP Directory-B to work with our 3rd VP Directory-A, Marilyn Stauss, next year.

An Evite will be distributed in a few weeks. Invite any new Aggie Moms who might be interested in joining us!

Bethel Church of Houston - Fellowship Hall

(825 Bering Dr.; Houston; 77057)

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS

AGGIE MUSTER, 4/21 - HOUSTON LOCATIONS

Aggie Muster is held on April 21st every year as a tradition to honor the Aggies who have passed since the last Muster with a roll call. The largest Muster gathering is on the College Station campus, but they occur all over the world on this date.

To learn more about Aggie Muster, visit: Aggie Muster – "Softly Call the Muster…" (tamu.edu)

For details on locations, visit:Find your Muster (aggienetwork.com)

The largest Muster in Houston will be hosted by the Houston A&M Club at Bayou City Event Center (9401 Knight Road; 77045); no cost. Contact: Charles C. McRae III '13; 713-834-2901; hamcaggiemuster@gmail.com

Another gathering in our area will be held at Spring Branch Presbyterian Church (1215 Campbell Rd.; 77055); no cost. Contact: Neal Dikeman '98; 415-336-2814; ndikeman@gmail.com

HOWDY PARTY 2024

Please share our Howdy Party information with any new Aggie Moms you know and reply to this message with their names and e-mail addresses so we can invite them!

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2-4PM

Bethel Church of Houston -

Fellowship Hall

825 Bering Drive; 77057

LOOKING FOR A WAY TO BE MORE INVOLVED NEXT YEAR?

We have some open appointed positions on our 2024-2025 board, including Social Chairs, who plan fun events through the year!

We are also looking for a host house for our Wine & Cheese Meet & Greet (usually toward the end of September, after our general meeting).

Contact Margo Wall, President-Elect, at 713-598-2078 or margo.wall@houstonaggiemoms.org

HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED THE MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT APP?

If you don't already have it on your phone, download it today to stay in touch with your Houston Aggie Moms' Club friends, especially over the summer! As members, you have access to our online membership directory, which is automatically updated as members join and renew, change their addresses after a move, etc.

If your membership expires on May 31st this year, please renew soon AFTER that date (our membership year begins on June 1st and ends on May 31st). If you are not certain, log into your account on the app or your laptop to check.

Once your membership expires, your Aggie Mom friends won't be able to find your contact information until you renew. Renewing takes less than 5 minutes via the app or your laptop - but wait until June 1st!

Through the app, you can also view our calendar, place orders for boutique and everything else you can do on our website but in a mobile-friendly way!

If you already have a Membership Toolkit log-in thorough another organization, like your Aggie's high school PTA, you use the same log-in and password.

REMINDER: NO APRIL GENERAL MEETING DUE TO FAMILY WEEKEND

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CALENDAR!

Don't miss any upcoming events!

Download the Membership Toolkit app and subscribe to our calendar from the app or your laptop: Houston Aggie Moms' Club - Manage Subscriptions (membershiptoolkit.com)

SPECIAL INVITATION TO HOUSTON AGGIE WOMEN

Houston Aggie Moms (whether Aggies or not!) are invited to join the Houston Aggie Women's Facebook group and attend their events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/103999793002659

https://www.facebook.com/HouAggieWomen

Questions? Contact Kathy Moore '76: kemoore76@sbcglobal.net

Houston Aggie Women – Whoop!

SUBJECT: Houston Aggie Moms' Club: April 2024 Newsletter