APRIL 2025 NEWSLETTER Howdy Houston Aggie Moms! There are a lot of exciting events this week in College Station - Aggie Ring Day, Family Weekend, Federation Spring Meetings and of course, the Federation's amazing AGGIE MOMBOUTIQUE in the MSC! While you're visiting your Aggie, volunteer at our Houston Boutique Booth before or after you shop for "everything AGGIE" on the 2nd floor of the MSC. Aggie Mom's Clubs from all over the country will be there raising money for scholarships, just like our Houston Aggie Moms will be doing too! Did your Aggie just graduate in December or will graduate this May or August? We have a special gift for YOU but you must log in to your account and complete the form by 4/1! YES...TODAY IS THE DEADLINE!!! We have some great end-of-year activities planned!. We even have one event to do with your Aggie! Don't Miss these Spring 2025 Events: Friday 4/4 & Saturday 4/5 BOUTIQUE in College Station Thursday 4/174pm-7pm Spring Social at Post Oak Ice House Wednesday 4/236pm-8pm Sandwich Generation Meeting Friday 4/25 10am-3pm Finals Care Package Distribution in College Station Thursday 5/15:30 pm Bingo in the Heights Part Deux Thursday 5/156:30 pm May General Meeting Saturday 5/17 1pm-4pm Volunteer at Houston Food Bank Scroll down for more details on these events in the sections below. Don't forget to check out the Announcements/Reminders too! Reminder to check your membership expiration date in MTK. If your membership expires on 5/31/24, please renew on or after 6/1/25. And if your Aggie is graduating, remember that you can still be part of Houston Aggie Moms plus you get to be part of the more social Ring of Honor Group! So plan to stick around and have more fun with us next year! If you know of any new Aggie Moms, please reply to this message with their names and email addresses so we can invite them to our Howdy Party in July (details below) Thanks and Gig 'Em, Margo Wall '82 President, Houston Aggie Moms' Club https://houstonaggiemoms.membershiptoolkit.com/ |
AGGIE MOMS' BOUTIQUE ON FAMILY WEEKEND |
FRIDAY, 4/4 - SATURDAY, 4/5 COLLEGE STATION The huge annual Aggie Moms Boutique, coordinated by The Federation of Aggie Moms' Clubs in the Memorial Student Center (MSC), is coming up in April during Family Weekend! All Aggie Moms Clubs are invited to sell items to raise funds for their scholarships. This event is our second-largest annual fundraiser. We sell a much wider assortment of items at this event than we do online. Acclaimed artist, Benjamin Knox '90, will join us again on 4/5 from 1pm-3pm to sign and personalize his prints purchased from our booth on 4/4 and 4/5. His autographed prints make very special graduation, ring day, and other occasion gifts! Saturday, 4/5, is designated a tax-free day for our organization, so make your dollars go even further by purchasing items from our booth and many of the other booths that may also have that day/weekend designated as their tax-free day(s) of the year! (Note that Friday 4/4 is NOT one of our tax-free days.) We would love to have you volunteer at our booth for a few hours while you're visiting your Aggies to help make this event another great success. SIGN UP HERE! Even if you only have a couple of hours, please join us for this fun event! Questions? Contact our Boutique VPs, Sonja Nitsch and Melissa Martin: Boutique@HoustonAggieMoms.org
SPECIAL OFFER!!! Cara Reid, our Corresponding Secretary, has graciously offered to host a few Houston Aggie moms who are willing to work at our booth and need a place to spend the night in College Station. An email was sent out about this on Sunday 3/30/25. Please reach out to Cara at carareid@hotmail.com if you are interested! |
| HOUSTON AGGIE MOMS' SPRING SOCIAL! Who: YOU! What: Socialize and have Fun!! Where: Post Oak Ice House, 5610 Richmond Ave; 77057 When: Thursday, April 17th, 4pm - 7pm Why: Hang out with your Aggie Mom friends! RSVP Here: RSVP for Spring Social Here Questions? Email Social Co-Chairs Laura Wilson and Valerie Ysmael at Socials@HoustonAggieMoms.org |
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SANDWICH GENERATION MEETING Who: Especially our Aggie Moms who are parenting and also caretaking for their parents - but all members are welcome! What: Learn and support each other Where: Home of Nancy Swanston: 4323 Phil St, Bellaire; 77401 When: Wednesday, April 23rd, 6pm - 8pm Speaker: Amanda Kreshover, Kreshover Law, PLLC Topic:Estate Planning, Trusts, Probate & Guardianship RSVP: Save the Date - Evite coming soon Questions?Laura Spilman: (210) 560-9656, Laura.Spilman@HoustonAggieMoms.org or Bendi Saindon: (713) 254-0116, BWSaindon@gmail.com |
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| FINALS CARE PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION FRIDAY, 4/25, 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: "We've Got You Covered!" Would you like to help distribute College Station care packages? Hang out with other Houston Aggie Moms and make our Aggies' days! Maybe even give out a few Aggie Mom hugs? Do you love baking? We also need some Aggie Mom Home Baked Goodies for our Aggies to get when picking up their packages. A few helpers are also needed to assemble the care packages. Sign up here: Care Package Help & Baking Sign-Up Galveston Aggies: Please contact Kristen and Nichole at CarePackages@HoustonAggieMoms.org to arrange to pick up for your Galveston Aggies. |
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BINGO IN THE HEIGHTS PART DEUX! Back by Popular Demand! It was so much fun in the fall, we are going again! But this time, we are charging $2.00 each so we can cover the charge to reserve tables! Meet up with your Houston Aggie Mom friends for a fun night out! Doors open at 5:30pm and Bingo starts at 7:00pm. Come early because the doors close when capacity is reached. We will reserve tables, but it's open to the public. Look for maroon when you arrive. Who: Houston Aggie Moms! What: BINGO! Where: SPJST Lodge 88 (1435 Beall St; The Heights 77008) When: Thursday 5/1 5:30 Doors open; 7pm BINGO Starts Why: To have FUN with other Aggie Moms! Ticket Cost: $2 per person. Ticket link coming soon! Important Details: - A package of Bingo cards is $15 each (CASH ONLY) and is required for each player.
- Daubers will be available to purchase on-site if you do not have one.
- The Lodge 88 bar is Open (CARDS PREFERRED)
Bring your own food and drinks - Rules are as follows: - $4 Corking Fee per Bottle of your Wine and Liquor - 750ml or larger that you bring in
- You are NOT allowed to bring in drinks sold at the bar (water, sodas, mixers, beer, hard seltzers, etc.)
- Consider bringing food/snacks to share
QUESTIONS: Call or Text Laura Wilson at 281-384-1637 See you there! |
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| MAY GENERAL MEETING Let's celebrate another successful year, our new board installation, special gifts for moms of graduating Aggies, and plenty of social time before we break for the summer! An Evite will be distributed in a few weeks. Please invite any new Aggie Moms who might be interested in joining us! Bethel Church of Houston - Fellowship Hall (825 Bering Dr.; Houston; 77057) |
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| Volunteering with our Aggies at the Houston Food Bank Mark your Calendars for Saturday, May 17th, 1pm-4pm! Before our Aggies scatter for the summer, let's get them to go with us to volunteer a shift at the Houston Food Bank again! We had so much fun on December 28th, 2024 (photo above) packing up 18 pallets of Senior boxes for distribution! Our friends at Houston A&M Club coordinated for us and are excited to have us come volunteer with them again in May when the kids are home. Sign Up Here to Volunteer at HFB |
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Announcements / Reminders |
Moms of Senior Aggies Gift Do you have a senior Aggie graduating during the 2024-2025 academic year? Congratulations to you and your Aggie!!! Every year, the Houston Aggie Moms' Club gives a special gift to the mothers, grandmothers and guardians of our graduating Senior Aggies at our May general meeting! 2024–2025 Guidelines • The Senior Aggie must be graduating in the 2024-2025 academic year (December 2024, May 2025 or Summer 2025) • The Mother is required to be an active member with dues paid • The Mother must attend six (6) meetings or club activities within the past year • The Mother must submit the application form on or before Tuesday, April 1, 2025 THE DEADLINE IS TODAY!!! How do you apply? Click on THIS LINK. You will need to log into your MTK account to access the form. |
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| HOUSTON AGGIE MOMS' ONLINE STORE - Your one-stop shop for Exclusive Houston Aggie mom logo T-shirts, Polos, Sweatshirts & Quarter-Zips
- Rep Houston Aggie Moms at our events, Boutique & Federation meetings
- Customize with your name on some items
- Ships direct to you!
- A small percentage supports Aggie Scholarships!
- Buy Items here: Houston Aggie Moms' Store
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 HOWDY PARTY 2025 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 20, 2-4PM Bethel Church of Houston Fellowship Hall
825 Bering Drive; 77057 |
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Houston Aggie Moms' Directory Since Houston Aggie Moms' member contact information is available online through website access on computers and app access on smartphones, the board voted last fall to no longer produce a printed directory. The information is readily available at https://houstonaggiemoms.membershiptoolkit.com The directory can also easily be accessed by downloading the MTK app and logging in. This is very convenient when you're "on the go." If you need assistance in accessing the directory or even logging into your MTK account, please contact our VP Membership Maggie Saether at membership@HoustonAggieMoms.org She can also provide a PDF of the member directory via email to you for contacts that have not "opted out" of the directory. We encourage every member to OPT-IN for the directory so that other members that you connect with can find you! NOTE: As always, directory information may not be used as a mailing list or call list without the permission of the Houston A&M University Mothers' Club. |
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| Get More Involved in 2025-2026! Congratulations to the following ladies who were elected to the 2025-2026 Board at our March General Meeting! They will be installed at our May General Meeting. | President | Cyndi Ruiz-Mansfield | | President-Elect | Cara Reid | | Past President | Margo Wall ‘82 | | 1st VP – Membership | Maggie Saether | | 2nd VP – Programs | Laura Fertak '90 | | 3rd VP – Special Events | Dominique Varner | | 4th VP – Boutique - A | Jennifer Olmos | | 5th VP – Boutique - B | Claudia Sanchez | | 5th VP – Hospitality - A | Carrie Frain | | 6th VP – Hospitality - B | Katie Kollar '01 | | 6th VP – Fundraising - A | Dawn Joy | | 7th VP – Fundraising - B | Vivian Yeh | | 7th VP – Care Packages - A | Nichole Ake | | 8th VP – Care Packages - B | Gretchen Young '98 | | Recording Secretary/ Registrar | Sonja Nitsch | | Corresponding Secretary | Iram Ahmed | | Treasurer | Valerie Ysmael | | Parliamentarian | Roberta Konicki |
Our incoming president, Cyndi Ruiz-Mansfield, will be filling additional appointed positions on next year's board. If you're interested in finding out about opportunities to serve on the board or committees next year, please contact Cyndi at 713-202-6194 or cruizlaw@gmail.com |
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| AGGIE MUSTER IN HOUSTON 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 entrance cost, cash bar;
Doors Open: 4:30 PM
Social Hour: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Event: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Guest Speaker: David C. Baggett '81, Managing Partner, Opportune, LLP, and Texas A&M Regent. |
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| 2025 HOUSTON A&M CLUB'S COACH'S NIGHT PRESENTED BY FROST BANK - FEATURING COACH MIKE ELKO Who: Aggies & Aggie Moms and Dads What: Annual Coach's Night - Dinner & Auction Where: Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Rd; 77045 When: Wednesday, June 4th, evening Why: An evening of Aggie Camaraderie and Football Chatter! Important Details: Houston Aggie Moms proudly support Houston A&M Club by attending this event each year. Each year we fill tables to sit together and enjoy the evening with each other. HAMC usually gives us discounted prices to attend with our group. Prices for tables and tickets have not been published yet but were $120 last year. More information and a link to purchase tickets will be in the May newsletter. Interested? Please email Margo Wall at President@HoustonAggieMoms.org to indicate interest and the number of tickets you may want. |
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REMINDER: NO APRIL GENERAL MEETING DUE TO FAMILY WEEKEND |
Did You Know? That Houston Aggie Moms can sign up for Kroger to make a donation to our group every time you shop? Log into your Kroger account and use the code KC493 to support Houston Aggie Moms' Club with every purchase! |
| Subscribe to Our Calendar Don't miss any of our upcoming events! Download the Membership Toolkit app and subscribe to our calendar from the app or your laptop: Manage MTK subscriptions HERE |
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SAVE THESE DATES! - FEDERATION OF AGGIE MOMS’ CLUB/HOUSTON AGGIE MOMS’ CLUB BOUTIQUE during FAMILY WEEKEND in COLLEGE STATION: April 4th-5th at the TAMU Memorial Student Center - NO APRIL GENERAL MEETING (Family Weekend in College Station instead) - HOUSTON AGGIE MOMS' SPRING SOCIAL: Thursday, April 17th, 4pm-7pm, Post Oak Ice House - SANDWICH GENERATION MEETING: Wednesday, April 23rd, 6pm-8pm, Home of Nancy Swanston
- SPRING FINALS CARE PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION: Friday, April 25th, TAMU Hotel & Conference Center Lobby - BINGO IN THE HEIGHTS PART DEUX: Thursday, May 1st, 5:30pm, SPSJT Lodge
- MAY GENERAL MEETING: Thursday, May 15th, 6:30pm at Bethel Church of Houston - HOUSTON FOOD BANK VOLUNTEER DAY WITH OUR AGGIES & HOUSTON A&M CLUB: Saturday, May 17th, 1pm - 4pm - HOWDY PARTY FOR NEW AGGIES AND MOMS: Sunday, July 20th, 2pm-4pm, Bethel Church of Houston |
| FEDERATION OF AGGIE MOMS' NEWS |
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AGGIE MOMS AT BENJAMIN KNOX GALLERY After spending the day with your Aggie or helping Houston Aggie Moms in our Boutique Booth, Aggie Moms are invited to Benjamin Knox's Gallery for socializing and fun from 6pm to 9pm. |
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FISH CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS The Federation of Aggie Moms is supporting Fish Camp Scholarships for 2025. A raffle is being held and the prize is sending an incoming Aggie Fish to Fish Camp 2025. The cost of one (1) raffle ticket is $10 and the winner will be drawn during Family Weekend. The proceeds will go to fund Fish Camp 2025 scholarships. If you do not have an incoming Fish and would like to support the scholarships for Aggies to attend Fish Camp, donations are also accepted at the same QR code below. |
12TH CAN FOOD PANTRY Hunger is unfortunately on the TAMU campus. 12th Can is a student-led organization that works to help this problem with "pocket pantries" in various places on campus. Houston Aggie Moms has supported this organization with donations in past years. If you would like to donate to this cause, the top 2 QR codes on the graphic below will assist you. |
Who Wants a Scholarship? If your Aggie (incoming Fish or returning student) has a talent for storytelling (without using ChatGPT!!!), then this may be for you! An Aggie family has created a scholarship in honor of their grandmother who sounds like a delightful lady! Here's the information from her granddaughter TAMU '19 and the information is below. It would be so wonderful for one of our Houston Aggie Mom's students to win this! Please encourage your Aggie to apply if they have a way with words and stories! ********************************************************** Howdy! My name is Lexie Cooper, Texas A&M class of 2019, and I am writing to the Aggie Clubs to pass along a scholarship opportunity in memory of my grandmother, Libby Patterson. This award is open to any Texas A&M student who can tell a good story. Do you know any interested current or incoming students? One winner will be awarded a $4,000 scholarship and ten honorable mentions named. Please see a brief description below, as well as a link to the website and flyer. Libb Patt Wisecrack Award When Libby Patterson passed away, the world lost a steady source of lightness and humor. This scholarship is intended to bring a bit of that light back. Libby was a master of the art of telling a great story, and we would be delighted to provide a scholarship to a student who possesses that same gift. In 2,000 words or less, write a story that makes you (and hopefully us) laugh. Libby's specialty was everyday life made entertaining, and that's what we hope the winner will be able to portray. As a straight C student, Libby would not have had any interest in your resume or GPA. The winner will be decided based on story alone. This $4,000 award is eligible to any Texas A&M student to use towards the cost of tuition. https://www.libbpattwisecrackaward.com/ Please reach out with any questions! Thanks and Gig ‘Em, Lexie Cooper libbpattwisecrack@gmail.com |
THANK YOU TO TAMU MAYS HOUSTON! TAMU Mays Houston has graciously shared their classroom space with Houston Aggie Moms' for our board meetings, TAMU Mays Houston has asked us to share information on their Executive and Professional Houston Programs with our Aggie Moms. If you, your spouse, or your children are interested in learning more, information can be found by scanning the QR code in the graphic below. Please spread the word that an Aggie RING can be earned in HOUSTON! Aggies support Aggies! Gig 'Em! |
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