Help a friend or family with Aggie Muster information

We’ve all wished we could help someone who is suffering a loss. Each year, there are families and friends who are learning for the first time how to submit a name for Aggie Muster and where the name can be called on Muster Day. Keep this information handy and share it when needed. Some steps are ones that you can assist with directly.

Not all names are called in Reed Arena

Many Aggies believe they should head to College Station to answer for their friend or loved one on April 21. But in fact the student-run Muster is like every local Muster: Its Roll Call includes the names of Aggies in that community. Typically no more than 150-170 names are called in Reed Arena, whereas the total on the Worldwide Muster Roll can be over 2,000.

The categories of names that are called in Reed Arena are listed at tx.ag/Criteria; you can help your friends or family with this information when needed. The names called are mainly current students and faculty, enrolled students’ immediate Aggie relatives and a few other categories.

If they would like to have their Aggie's name submitted for consideration, there is a form they can fill out on the tx.ag/Criteria page.

They may decide instead to attend a local Muster that is near a family home or that is centrally located for their group; read below for how you can assist with that.

If they are unfamiliar with the tradition of Aggie Muster, you can help describe what to expect at the student Muster or at local Musters. 

Where an Aggie’s name can be called

Almost any off-campus Muster can add a name to their Muster Roll for you, if you RSVP to say that you will be attending. You may be asked if you wish to hold a candle.

How to help friends or family: Visit tx.ag/FindAMuster to research locations of Musters that the family and friends might want to attend. Be aware that this list is updated gradually by the volunteers who organize each Muster: If you check in December, it might only have a few Musters, but check back in February and more Musters will appear on the map. You can also check with the nearest Texas A&M Club, or click above the map to view Musters that were held the prior year; many of those will be held again.

Families or friends can contact the local Muster chair using the information at tx.ag/FindAMuster, explain who will be attending, and ask for the name to be added. Doing this as early as possible helps the local Muster volunteers considerably — no need to wait until mid-April.

Report an Aggie's passing to The Association

You can assist family by reporting their loved one's passing to The Association of Former Students. Send an email to AddAName@AggieNetwork.com, and please include a link to an online obituary, if available. 

What this does: The Association will place the name on the Worldwide Muster Roll and in Texas Aggie magazine’s obituaries.

Local Musters typically pull their roll of local names from this Worldwide Muster Roll. However, the assigned location depends on that Aggie's last known address in the former student database. Also, most Musters do not automatically call their entire local roll; often, they print a copy of the roll and ask Aggies in attendance to mark which names they would like to have called. So if a family is making plans to attend a local Muster, it is important to contact that Muster chair to ensure the name will be called there.

To learn when the obituary may appear in Texas Aggie, contact The Association's communications team at AggieNetwork@AggieNetwork.com. 

All names that have been added to the Worldwide Muster Roll before mid-April will be read aloud and answered with "Here" during The Association's Worldwide Muster Roll Call, which is livestreamed online April 21.

Questions to ask if you are attending to say ‘Here’

For a local Muster, you will want to let the Muster chair know, as early as possible, that you’ll be attending in person to answer “Here.” You may be asked if you wish to hold a candle. Each local Muster is different; some include a meal. You may want to ask how formal or informal the attire will be, or whether there is a cost associated with dinner.

For the student Muster in Reed Arena, families will be assigned seating and a student host; the student Muster Committee will coordinate these. You can read about what to expect at the student Muster ahead of time and share the information.