Don’t Wait Till April To Add A Name To Muster Roll

It’s commonly believed that the names of all Aggies are called at the student Muster in College Station.

That’s not the case. And every Muster calls a different roll.

But nearly any local Muster can add a name if they know you or other loved ones are attending to answer “Here.”

To make sure your Aggie’s name is on the Roll Call at the Muster you plan to attend:

• Find a Muster near you: tx.ag/FindAMuster.
• Contact the Muster chair and say you want to answer “Here” for a specific person.

Gradually as April approaches, nearly 300 Musters will appear on the map. Volunteer organizers are working all over the world to line up locations, meals and speakers. By March, most Musters will be listed. Check last year’s list, too. If there was a Muster near you last year, odds are good it will be organized again in April. 

Ways you can help grieving family or friends

• Make sure the Aggie's name is on the Worldwide Roll: tx.ag/AddAName. This can be done at any time in the year. It will also help Association staff create an obituary notice in Texas Aggie magazine and ensure the name is part of the Live Worldwide Roll Call event.

• Make sure family and friends are not incorrectly assuming they need to head to College Station on April 21.

Historically, the student-run Muster in Reed Arena has not called the full roll of all Aggies. Like other Musters, it calls primarily names from its own community: current students and their Aggie relatives, Aggie faculty/staff and a few other categories. However: Nearly all local Musters can and will immediately add a name to their list (and a name can be called at more than one Muster). To learn more, visit tx.ag/WhichMuster. It can help both families and Muster organizers to make these arrangements early.

Your help is requested in making sure families and friends learn this information if they need it.

The Association gets hundreds of phone calls in April from Aggies trying to find a Muster or change plans last-minute. Such distress can make an already difficult time harder.

• When they are ready to make their own Muster plans, you can provide these links:

tx.ag/FindAMuster - Map and contact information for hundreds of Musters
tx.ag/WhichMuster - Where an Aggie’s name can be called
tx.ag/AddAName - How to place an Aggie’s name on the Worldwide Roll

• If an Aggie passes away soon before April 21 and the family is not ready, let them know that recognition can be deferred until the following year.
  
  
• Help them know what to expect at a specific Muster.

Families can sometimes be surprised that most Musters include socializing and may be formal or casual. Musters can range from catered meals to potlucks and picnics. Some have a speaker, but not all. Visit tx.ag/SixMusters to read about a variety of Musters.

A local Muster may include electing A&M Club officers or handing out Aggie scholarships, because these are usually the largest annual gatherings of Aggies in each area.

The Muster chair may ask if you want to hold a candle for your Aggie friend or relative. 

Check the date: Local Musters may not be held on April 21 itself, as the duty of the Muster chairs is to schedule their events so that the largest number of people can attend.

Contact information for each Muster chair is listed at tx.ag/FindAMuster. They can answer all your questions, including what to wear and whether there is any cost (most often, there is an option to attend for the ceremony only, without paying for a meal).

Muster is the greatest gathering of Aggies, and perhaps the finest of our traditions. And it doesn’t happen without the action of hundreds of individual Aggies. (You can even volunteer at one or host a Muster: learn more here.)

Your help, this year and every year, is greatly appreciated.

The Association of Former Students sends packets to Muster chairs and speakers, issues thousands of Muster invitations and provides step-by-step support as over 300 Musters are planned each year. The Association’s records and web staff also maintain the online Worldwide Roll, which is updated daily. Donor support makes these services possible: tx.ag/give.