Texas A&M Vet School helping in WNC in wake of Helene

Our Club recently learned the Texas A&M Vet School has a “Veterinary Emergency Team (VET)” that had been deployed in our region since Oct. 4th to support search and rescue teams. The search and rescue teams have highly trained dogs that receive a daily health checkup after each shift, and can receive immediate veterinary care for wounds suffered in the field. Think of it like the old TV show M*A*S*H, but the patients are animals.

The VET crew has several advanced mobile clinics and support vehicles that have been deployed in Cherokee, Morganton, and Asheville since Helene. At the peak of search and rescue operations, they were caring for 80 highly trained dogs that are part of search and rescue teams from all over the country.

We learned of the team’s location, were able to make contact, and offer any assistance or comfort they may need. The team will be winding down their efforts, but they welcomed a hot lunch served by Aggies on Tuesday Oct 15th. For anyone not familiar with the VET team, it is incredible to learn just how significant this operation is and how well-equipped they are to support disaster responses nationwide. Below are some links to the program’s website, their Facebook page, and the biography of the Director, Dr. Debra Zoran.

Regarding the destruction that Dr. Zoran and her team have seen in our region, her words were very salient for those of us familiar with a disaster in Texas in 2015: “The devastation in Western North Carolina is like Wimberley on steroids”. We are thankful to have the experience, wisdom and support of the Aggie Veterinary Emergency Team standing side-by-side with first responders in our area.  It is also inspiring to learn about the huge investment made by A&M to be the nation’s leader in disaster response veterinary care.

 

For more information, about VET:

Program web page: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/vet/

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUVET

Dr. Zoran’s profile: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/person/962/

Press release about VET in NC: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/vet-hurricane-helene/

2024 Aggie Muster

Howdy Aggies,

You are invited to join fellow Aggies for Muster. Traditional live Muster program, followed by a sit-down meal and a very distinguished Aggie has our muster speaker!

We are honored this year to have former Head Football Coach RC Slocum, the winningest coach in Aggie Football history!  Read below to learn more about his fabulous record.

Location: The Hatch, 45 South French Broad Ave. Asheville, NC. While this is downtown, there is ample free parking. There is a map visible when you open the link to purchase tickets!

Details: The Club will provide BBQ, drinks (tea, water, soft drinks), and desserts. Please bring a side dish, other than a dessert, to share.

Cost: Tickets will be $30 per person and can be purchased HERE. Please purchase your tickets by APRIL 17. Tickets are sold as “first come, first served”, so do not hesitate to purchase your ticket.

Speaker: We are very honored this year to announce that our Muster speaker will be Coach RC Slocum! He holds the highest win percentage in Southwest Conference history. He won six conference championships: including three consecutive Southwest Conference titles, two Big 12 (South) Conference championships, and the Big 12 Conference title in ’98. Under his guidance, the Aggies only lost 4 games at Kyle Field during the ’90’s. He was named the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year 3 times, and inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, and in 2012, the College Football Hall of Fame. Recently, Coach Slocum was named the Interim Athletic Director for Texas A&M University. He still lives in the Bryan/College Station area and remains active in our Aggie Community.

Reminder: If you are a member of the Club, or wish to become one, we collect annual Club dues for the coming year at Muster. The amount is $25 per Aggie or $35 per family. These payments will be taken at the door, and are used to support our club activities and scholarship fundraising. Your support is always appreciated!

We are in for a really special treat! Come join us at this historic event.

Muster 4/16/2023

Howdy Aggies,
 

You are invited to join fellow Aggies for Muster. Traditional live Muster program, followed by a sit-down meal.

 

Location:     Mills River Community Center

                     120 School House Road

                     Mills River, NC 28759

Details:    The Club will provide BBQ, drinks (tea, water, soft drinks) and desserts. A vegetarian option will be available, but please indicate your wish for the vegetarian option with your RSVP.

Please bring a side dish, other than a dessert, to share. A donation of $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 12 and under, is requested to help cover the cost of event space, BBQ and supplies.

Speaker:  Please join us for the Western Carolina A&M Club’s 2023 Muster. This year we are thrilled to welcome our Muster Speaker Cody Risien ’79. Cody was a Collegiate and Southwest Conference All Star during his football playing days at Texas A&M, and was the team’s Captain in 1978. After graduating, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and twice was selected as an All-Pro. Cody has been inducted into the Aggie Hall of Fame and Cleveland Browns Legends Hall of Fame. After his football career, he became a Project Manager with Austin Commercial and had a hand in building many of the skyscrapers that make up the Austin skyline.

RSVP: To facilitate meal planning please RSVP by April 12 via email to Muster Chairman, Chris Buehler ’86, at email Chris or by phone to 214-244-6876. Be sure to include the names of everyone in your family or group with your RSVP.

Questions?  Contact Chris Buehler at email Chris  or by phone at 214-244-6876

Western Carolina A&M Club Annual Fundraiser BBQ

WHEN: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 11am – 3pm

WHERE: Lake Julian Park, Pavilion #6, 406 Overlook Extension, Arden, NC

Enjoy some delicious food, Aggie camaraderie, and a chance to bid on great items during our silent + live auctions. We are also eager to meet in person the many new Aggies who have moved to the area in the past 2 years – so come on out and join us!

Football season is just around the corner, and we are kicking it off with our annual Fundraiser BBQ at our favorite pavilion on the shore of Lake Julian. This and Muster are our two biggest events every year and we always have a great time getting together with fellow Aggies from this area. So, come join in the fun and Aggie camaraderie. The pavilion is large enough to provide ample protection in case of rain.

This event is our primary fundraising activity to support scholarships for area students attending Texas A&M. You will have a chance to bid on great items during our silent and live auctions as well as many raffle items. Those will consist of A&M memorabilia, gift baskets and much, much more. If you have any goodies to donate to add to the raffle/auction items, please email Robyn Heath or call her at 828-551-0444

Activities include a playground, paddle boats to rent, horseshoes, and a cornhole tournament.

 Come on out and join the fun.

The club will provide the BBQ, dessert, and iced tea, soda, and water. Sorry, no alcoholic drinks are allowed in the park. Please bring a non-dessert side dish.

Price:   Adults –  $10, Children under twelve –  $5   Guests are welcome!!!

RSVP

Please RSVP by September 8.  Email Robyn Heath or call her at 828-551-0444. We need your reply to know how much BBQ to order.

Questions and/or Volunteer

See RSVP contact info.

Directions 

Lake Julian Pavilion #6 is on Lake Julian Road (Formerly Fisherman’s Trail) entrance to Lake Julian Park, which is just off Hendersonville Road. Note that this is NOT the Long Shoals Rd. entrance that we have used in previous years.

Aggie Scholarship

WESTERN CAROLINA A&M CLUB

Affiliated with the Texas A&M Association of Former Students

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION(Click here to view/print)

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION SHEET (Click here to print)

Go to scholarship page

 

Texas A&M SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION INFORMATION SHEET

The Western Carolina A&M Club (WCAMC) is pleased to announce scholarships ranging
between $500 and $2,000 per semester to Texas A&M University. The Scholarship(s) will be
awarded to deserving Western Carolina High School Seniors attending Texas A&M University
for the upcoming Fall semester and/or to deserving students currently enrolled at Texas A&M.

MAIL APPLICATION TO: TREY CUPP, 19 Landon Rd, Fairview, NC 28730 or email
treycupp@gmail.com.

DEADLINE: Application and required documents must be postmarked by March 31st
.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
1. High School seniors (or equivalent including home schooled students) or transfer
students who have applied for admission to Texas A&M University for the upcoming
Fall semester OR students currently enrolled at Texas A&M.
2. Residents of the Western North Carolina Counties of Ashe, Watauga, Avery,
Caldwell, Burke, Cleveland, Mitchell, McDowell, Rutherford, Yancy, Polk, Madison,
Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Transylvania, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Clay
and Cherokee.
3. Exceptions to the residency requirement may be considered by the Scholarship
Committee provided that the student resides within 250 miles of Asheville NC.
4. A United States Citizen.
5. Maintain a 2.5 GPA and a minimum of 12 hours each funded semester (12 hours of
the required hours must be taken at a main Texas A&M campus (College Station and
Galveston)
6. Students with a special circumstance (illness, study abroad, special A&M-endorsed
programs/internships) shall be considered for an exception to the minimum 12 hour
requirement at A&M, on a case by case basis.
7. Agree to notify the Scholarship Committee within 4 weeks, if they fall below the
required 12 hours at A&M.

NON DISCRIMINATION: Selection shall be made without regard to the applicant’s race,
color, gender, religious creed, national or ethnic origin or handicap status.

INTERVIEW: Personal (Face to Face) or Teleconference interviews will be scheduled for
qualified applicants prior to April 15th
. Applicants are encouraged to interview in person.
Currently enrolled A&M students are encouraged to request early interviews if they are in
NC during Winter break, Spring break or other times.

QUESTIONS: Questions regarding application or the scholarship application process should be
addressed to Trey Cupp at 828-242-6939.

AWARD DATE: The scholarship will be awarded at the Western Carolina A&M Club Muster
ceremony held around April 21st each year. Scholarship recipients or a family representative
MUST be present at Muster to accept scholarship and will be introduced and recognized.
CONDITIONAL AWARD: Scholarships are awarded subject to the candidate being accepted
at Texas A&M and enrolling at the University for the upcoming Fall semester.

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE AT TEXAS A&M: Candidate shall notify the
Scholarship Committee of acceptance by Texas A&M as soon as possible.
DISBURSEMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS: The Scholarship funds will be disbursed by
the Texas A&M University Financial Aid office, after verification of GPA.

VERIFICATION OF GPA: Before transferring funds to Texas A&M, the scholarship
committee must have a copy of the recipient’s latest transcript, and verify that they maintain a
2.5 GPA. A PDF copy from the University web system is acceptable. Deadlines are: June 1st
(for Fall disbursement) and January I st (for spring disbursements). Missing these deadlines
will delay disbursements. Provide Texas A&M student ID to insure funds are credited to correct
account.

TIPS ON APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP FROM WCAMC.
We are glad that you have selected Texas A&M University as your alma mater and we wish you
success in your college career. We evaluate every scholarship application very carefully. We
choose our recipients on the basis of academic achievement and general factors such as
motivation, community service, leadership, and character.
Transcripts provide basic information, but we know about your motivation, community service
and character only from your letters of recommendation (high school seniors only) and what you
tell us about yourself and how you tell us about yourself.

GENERAL TIPS
Make it easy for the Scholarship Committee to learn about you. Use the Application Form and
fill in the information. Hand written applications will be accepted and considered, but a typed
application is definitely more professional.
Write clearly and concisely. You do not have to write prize winning prose, just write clear
sentences in formal English. Write something and then read it aloud to see how it sounds. If you
make careless errors in grammar or spelling, we will conclude that you do not take the
scholarship seriously. Use spell check on your computer, but don’t rely on it exclusively.
Spelling does count.
When finished with your application please proofread and then proofread again. Then have
someone else do the same. Be sure to recheck that you have provided all requested documents
and information. Your application will NOT be considered if crucial information is missing.

SPECIFIC TIPS ON COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND PERFORMANCE:
Please include the most recent grade information possible. Please attach an official high school
transcript and your SAT or ACT score report. PDF copies are acceptable.
EXPERIENCE/EXTRACURRICULAR: This section gives you the opportunity to identify
what you consider to be your most significant, non-academic accomplishments. We are
particularly interested in knowing about leadership roles you have held and the volunteer
activities you have performed. This may include activities in clubs, athletics, church and civic
organizations. This is also the place to describe any special family responsibilities, work
experience or other extracurricular activities outside the classroom. Always list the most
important items first. Be brief, but thorough. Make sure that each item is understandable to
someone who is not familiar with a specific organization.

ESSAYS: Be brief but informative. Follow proper writing and grammar rules.

TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION-HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ONLY. Select the
persons to write your letters of recommendation very carefully. Make sure these persons
understand your specific goals so they can emphasize the aspects of your personality, academic
performance and extracurricular activities that relate to that goal.
These letters should explain the position or status of the person writing the letter and their
relationship with you. NOTE: Do not submit letters from relatives as letters of
recommendation. These should be from a teacher, principal, supervisor in an after school or
summer job, coach of your athletic team, community leader, etc. They should be from someone
who has known you during your high school years. These letters should contain specific
examples that illustrate your abilities and accomplishments. Other topics you may wish to
include are your intellectual abilities, personal motivation, work habits, or emotional maturity.
The letter should not exceed one page in length. The emphasis should be on the quality and not
on the length of your comments.

PHOTO: Please supply a high quality, electronic or printed photo with your application. The
photo will be displayed at the club’s annual Muster ceremony in April. Photos may also be used
in club correspondences or newsletters as part of announcing scholarship winners. Close-up
photos (From the shoulders up) work best

Texans Come Together: Flood Relief Success Story

Texas Flood Relief Drive Success Story 

 A week ago, one of our Western Carolina A&M Club members, Linda McDaniel ’77, sent me an email offering to pick up donated goods for flood relief and drive them in her truck and trailer to College Station for transfer to a local company that was delivering goods to the flood stricken areas.  

That sounded like a great opportunity for our club to start a drive to collect donations. WCAMC president,Trey Cupp, was all for it. The timing was fortuitous since my good friend and Texas Exe President, Bruce Hatfield, had already been in contact with Texas Exes in Austin as well as family members in Houston and local Texans, so he was already organizing a relief effort here. 

When I approached Bruce about a combined Texas effort he was more than willing. He called back five minutes later with a vacant office space that we could use as a staging area. It was graciously offered by the Henderson County Republican Party.  Party members also volunteered to staff the staging area and helped in receiving, sorting and loading the donated goods. 

Bruce had a contact list of fellow Texas Exes and many other local Texans from other Texas universities and colleges. I had contact lists for the WCAMC, the Camera Club of Hendersonville, our HOA, and many friends. Between his contacts and mine, we were able to notify well over a thousand people directly via email and many more via social media and word of mouth. Flyers with collection details were printed and distributed at the GOP booth during Apple Festival and posted at many other locations. Staples even donated the printing of the flyers. The newspapers ran three articles and Channel 13 conducted two interviews. So, the drive was well publicized very quickly. 

Donations started arriving before our scheduled opening and poured in all during the first day. It was quickly obvious that we would exceed the capacity of Linda’s truck and two-horse trailer which meant that more transportation would be required.  Fortunately, we were able to connect with Hearts with Hands, a non-profit disaster relief organization in Asheville that was already running trucks to churches in Corpus Christi and Houston.

 

 By closing time the second day, we had sent a fully loaded a 16 foot box truck plus four large pickup trucks and an SUV to them. Then we loaded Linda’s truck and trailer for College Station.

 

 We deem this a great success, thanks to the eager generosity of so many donors. We are most grateful to them as well as to the many volunteers who assisted in unpacking, sorting, loading and delivering donations.  Some of the donors even stayed to help the process. 

We estimate that there were over 100 donors to this cause and it all started with one person sending an email offering to pick up donations and deliver them to Texas.  Her offer was the catalyst that galvanized the efforts of many local Texans who appreciated the opportunity to do something for their home state. Who said that one person can’t make a difference?

 This was just one small example of the relief effort taking place in Texas and nationwide.  Former president Bush quoted someone this morning who had said, “In Texas we have more love than water.” 

Thank you, Linda McDaniel, for starting the ball rolling. 

Bob Coffey ’58

Hurricane Harvey Help – Relief Drive in WNC

Aggies, fellow Texans and fellow Americans,

Texas Flood Relief Drive – The Western North Carolina A & M Club has organized a relief effort for the victims of the flooding in Texas. But,this is not just an Aggie effort. ALL Texas Colleges and Universities with alumni in WNC (Asheville, Hendersonvile, major cities) the Upstate of South Carolina (Greenville, Spartanburg, major cities) are participating along with the Henderson County GOP.  And, it is certainly not limited to Texans.

One of our WCAMC members, Linda McDaniel ’77, has offered to pick up donated goods for flood relief and drive them in her truck and trailer to College Station next week on Thursday, Sept. 7. There it will be transferred to Rick Dubec, VP of Special Projects at MYCON Corporation, an all Aggie company, that has already taken several truckloads of relief goods to the flooded areas.

 What is needed? Bottled water, non-perishable foods, toiletries, diapers, pet food, kitty litter, tarps, bedding, clothes, shoes, toilet paper, blankets, soap, washcloths, towels, razor blades, shaving cream, tooth brushes, tampons, can openers, toys and stuffed animals, etc; i.e, anything that you would need if you were stuck in a large facility sleeping on cots while the water drains out of your house. 

Be sure to pack loose items in boxes or trash bags that are labeled with the contents. Original packaging is fine for cases of bottled water, kitty litter, toilet paper, etc.

 Where and When to deliver?  We have access to a staging area and will staff it next Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM for accepting donations. Linda will be there late Wednesday afternoon to start loading. The drop-off location is 170 Four Seasons Boulevard in Hendersonville on the corner of the building between Appleby’s and Honey Baked Ham Café.

Please Spread the word –  Post this on your favorite social media and spread the word by mouth to your church and other organizations in order to cast a large net. If we collect more than Linda’s large trailer can haul, we’ll gladly accept the challenge of finding another truck…or trucks. 

Let’s all pitch in and make this happen for our friends, families and fellow Texans back home. Please feel free to contact either Bob or Trey for further details.  

Thank you for your support.

Summer 2015 Newsletter and BBQ/Picnic Information

Howdy Ags,

Check out the Summer 2015 E-Newsletter at the bottom of the home page! Its got great updates on recent club activities as well as upcoming activities.  If you then want to click on over to the Club Activities page, you will see current information on the upcoming Picnic/BBQ and Scholarship Fundraiser coming up in September!

Gig’em!