By EMILY BENNIGSDORF
Alpha Gamma Rho is a fraternity for men who express an interest in agriculture. The Gamma Beta chapter at Fort Hays State University has been in existence since Dec. 6, 2008.
This year, the men in the fraternity have taken an initiative to keep the brotherhood strong and learn more about each other. The chapter has been trying to get more involved in the community as well as on campus.
Alpha Gamma Rho is not just a professional fraternity. Members have joined the social fraternities on campus, which means they are closer to the other fraternities and sororities.
“Alpha Gamma Rho is getting men prepared for the real world,” said Jacob Brubaker, former president of the chapter. “As an agriculture-based fraternity, it is AGR’s goal to prepare the next generation of men to face agricultural problems as well as any problems in life. AGR is the best place to connect and network with great brothers, both past and present, who are passionate about their chosen fields.”
The chapter does have a house off campus grounds in which some of the members reside. The house is meant to house a few of the members and be an area the brothers can meet. Having a house off campus allows the members to be themselves, as well as have space to create a stronger bond in the brotherhood.
The fraternity has been hosting the Bingo game in Hays the last few semesters. The proceeds from last semester went to a church to help it continue reaching people. The members also went and volunteered at Pa’s Pumpkin patch just south of Hays. They helped by selling tickets for the corn maze as well as setting up, running the event and cleaning up.
Alpha Gamma Rho has branched out in helping in a highway cleanup and street-sweep day. The chapter showed up and helped set up as well as tear down the agriculture appreciation dinner for local farmers in Hays. They also participated in reaching out to the community in an Ag Appreciation Day at a county fair.
The chapter isn’t as large as it used to be, but the members are striving to get quality men into their brotherhood. To learn more about each other and bond as a chapter, they headed to Colorado this winter break and rented a cabin for a weekend. Each week, the members set aside one day where they all meet up and have a brother night where they play cards, go bowling or hang out.
“AGR has been a blast this year,” said Aaron Satran, current president of the fraternity. “I feel like we’ve really come together as a group, and that’s probably my favorite part about it. We’re all good friends and love to hang out.”
To get the chapter to strive for better GPA’s, the scholarship committee has started a healthy competition. The members break into teams of three to four brothers and the team with the highest GPA wins a prize at the end of each semester from the losing teams.
Alpha Gamma Rho teams up with Sigma Alpha to host a leadership seminar in four different locations each school year for the development of its members as well as their chapters. The seminar brings the ideas from both the fraternity and sorority together to discuss how to handle conflicts, strengthen bonds of members, recruitment ideas, finances, professional development and more.
The brotherhood has become closer this year, and they are striving to reach out and find new members for the upcoming years.
AGR and Sigma Alpha hanging out together having a bowling night. 
AGR and Sigma Alpha at the Leadership Seminar in Oklahoma City this February. 