Pardon this brief detour in my usual posts. But this day represents a vey special and somewhat sacred part of my life. As university traditions go, I believe the following may be the most meaningful and powerful of all.
Every year on April 21st, as spring blankets the Texas landscape, something extraordinary happens. In hundreds of locations across the globe – from small town barbecues to formal ceremonies in grand halls, from military outposts to corporate boardrooms – Aggies gather. They come together not just to reminisce about college days, but to honor something deeper, something that transcends the ordinary bonds of a university community.
This is Aggie Muster – perhaps the most profound tradition of Texas A&M University, a scholl steeped in tradition, and one that captures the very essence of what it means to be an Aggie.
On its surface, Muster is a memorial service. Each ceremony includes the “Roll Call for the Absent” – a solemn reading of names of Aggies who have passed away in the previous year. For each name called, someone answers “Here” and lights a candle, symbolizing that while these Aggies may be physically absent, their spirit remains present in the hearts of those who knew them and in the collective soul of the Aggie Family.
But to describe Muster merely as a memorial service would be to miss its deeper significance.
Muster represents something rare in our fast-paced, forward-looking world – a commitment to remembering, to honoring the past while building the future, to acknowledging that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
The story of Muster’s evolution tells us much about its meaning. What began in the 1880s as alumni gatherings to catch up and remember college days gradually transformed into something more structured and purposeful. The date of April 21st – San Jacinto Day, marking Texas’s independence – was chosen to align this personal tradition with the larger story of Texas itself.
But it was during the world wars that Muster truly found its soul. Imagine young Aggies, far from home, facing the very real possibility of death, taking time to remember their fallen comrades and to affirm their connection to each other and to their school. Perhaps most famously, during World War II, a group of Aggies held Muster on the embattled island of Corregidor, knowing full well that they themselves might soon be among the names called at future Musters.
In that moment, Muster transcended simple nostalgia and became something sacred – a testament to the enduring human need for community, for belonging, for knowing that we will be remembered.
What strikes outsiders most about Aggie Muster is not just its solemnity but its universality. In a world where connections often seem increasingly shallow and transactional, Muster stands as a powerful counter-example – evidence that deep, meaningful bonds can still be formed around shared values and experiences.
The tradition affirms that being an Aggie isn’t just about the years spent on campus – it’s a lifelong identity, a way of moving through the world that values loyalty, respect, and service to something greater than oneself.
When Aggies say “Once an Aggie, always an Aggie,” Muster gives that phrase concrete meaning. It says: We will remember you. Your life mattered. The impact you had continues. You are still part of us.
There is something profoundly human about gathering to remember those we’ve lost. Throughout history and across cultures, people have created rituals to honor their dead and to affirm the continuing bonds between the living and those who have passed on.
In our modern world, where such rituals sometimes feel like relics of the past, Muster stands as a reminder of their importance. The simple act of answering “Here” for someone who can no longer answer for themselves connects us to the deepest aspects of our humanity – our capacity for Love, for remembrance, for honoring those connections that transcend even death itself.
The candles lit at Muster ceremonies around the world don’t just illuminate the darkness; they serve as beacons, reminding us that some bonds can never be broken, that some traditions speak to something eternal in the human heart.
In an age often characterized by division and disconnection, Muster reminds us of the power of community and shared values. It speaks to our deep human need to belong to something larger than ourselves, to be part of a story that began before us and will continue after us.
For those who have never experienced it, Muster may seem like just another college tradition. But for those who have stood in a hushed room as names are called and candles are lit, who have felt the weight of history and the warmth of belonging that permeates these ceremonies, Muster represents something timeless and profound.
It reminds us that in a world of constant change, some things remain constant – the value of remembrance, the importance of community, and the sacred bond between those who share a common identity and purpose.
No matter where life takes them, Aggies know that they are part of something enduring. And each April 21st, as they gather to softly call the Muster, they affirm that the Aggie Spirit – that peculiar combination of loyalty, respect, and service that defines Texas A&M – continues to burn brightly in hearts around the world.
Personally I’ve had the honor to chair various Muster assemblies in random parts of the world. Most recently I called for a Muster in San Juan, Puerto Rico when I was travelling remotely during my consutling days. I had no idea who would show up or how big the crowd might be. But 9 of us appeared in the hotel conference room I had resevred. At first total strangers, but by the end of the night, brothers and sisters in a common bond.
Thank you for letting me share this.
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