Muster

"We gather today, Aggies all, to recall our past, to strengthen our ties, to honor those who have passed before us...We come today to affirm our commitment, our love for this place, and all that it represents." - Jack M. Rains, Muster Speaker 1984

Today is a day held dear to Aggies from Texas A&M University across the world because April 21 is the day for Muster. Aggie Muster is celebrated in more than four hundred places worldwide, with the largest ceremony on the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

"Muster is a time to look to the past, present, and future…not only to grieve but to reflect and to celebrate the lives that connect us to one another. A gesture so simple in nature yet so lasting in spirit, Muster is the lasting impression every Aggie leaves with us; it reminds us of the greatness that lies within these walls, of the loyalty we possess, of the connection that binds us, and of the idea that every Aggie has a place of importance – whether they are present in flesh or spirit."

My first Muster was on the A&M campus during my time in College Station. There are no words to describe the ceremony. You sit in silence. The Muster ceremony includes the Roll Call for the Absent. The Roll Call honors Aggies that have fallen since the last Muster roll was read. As the names are read, a friend or family member answers 'Here', and a candle is lit to symbolize that while those Aggies are not present in body, they will forever remain with us in Aggie Spirit. It's a very moving ceremony.

Century-old roots provide the basis of Muster as Aggies know it today. It has changed, yet the Spirit in which it was established remains the same. Since the beginning, every Aggie has lived and become a part of the Aggie Spirit. What is felt today is not just the love of a fellow Aggie, it is the spirit of hundreds of thousands of Aggies who have gone before. Muster is how that Spirit is remembered and will continue to unite Texas A&M and the Aggie family. A&M may change, but the Spirit never will. (taken from the Texas A&M website)

A good Aggie friend and I will attend our first Arkansas Muster tonight at 6 PM in Little Rock to honor the 200+ names on the Aggie Muster Roll Call list. Should make for a special evening.