by Zane Akins, Past Grand President

You may have heard the expression that without goals you have no way to know when you have arrived.

In establishing the plan for our second century, AGR brothers kept this truth in mind. They established priorities, developed written goals and defined how those goals will be measured.

The task remaining is to provide the leadership that makes this vision the fraternity’s destiny. The board of directors are confident this can be done, but it will require steady and constant attention by all of us.

Lets take a look at the goals identified and what will be achieved when we have arrived.

GOAL NUMBER ONE

TO GROW AGR MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP PRESENCE WORLDWIDE.

What does this really mean?

If as we believe, that our experience as a brother of AGR has been meaningful to us, helped us in our personal development, prepared us for the professional lives we want to pursue, and created lasting bonds that can be helpful to us throughout our lives, then why wouldn’t we want to provide that opportunity to greater numbers of young men as they enter their career developing years? Or for that matter to adult leaders already in the food, fiber and life science industry who may have missed the opportunity while in college.

It is like knowing about something very valuable that could be extremely helpful to someone and not sharing it. Suppose that you knew the cure for cancer and your best friend had it. Would you not want to share this knowledge with them? So it is with the AGR experience. Let the world know what you have to offer. Give more individuals this opportunity. They could very well become your life long best friend.

What will this mean over the long term?

More brothers experiencing the benefits of AGR. More AGR leaders within the food, fiber and life science industry. More impact within the community and professional industry in which we live. More presence within Universities worldwide. Instead of the addition effect it will be the multiplication effect. Ten plus ten equal 20. Ten times ten equal 100. AGR and its values will become the standard within our industry. It will in turn become easier to recruit, greater collaboration will be the result with the universities, graduating brothers will be highly sought after within the marketplace, and the world will come to know that we are in the business of MAKING BETTER MEN.

Lets get aggressive. Lets invite more of the top young men to become brothers of Alpha Gamma Rho. Lets not let barriers such as only 20 beds within a house, or no house at all, or that they didn’t come from the farm, or that they aren’t pursuing an animal related career, become our excuse for not inviting more potential brothers to experience AGR and to better prepare themselves for their future. It is AGR’s future as well.

GOAL NUMBER TWO

MAXIMIZE INDIVIDUAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL BROTHERS.

If it is all about MAKING BETTER MEN, we should then devote our resources to this endeavor. Our programming should be about aiding each brother, certainly the undergraduates; but we should not forget those of us who have begun our profession. This is where we can have an impact. Developing leadership skills will translate to success for the individual, cause us to attract others, and compound through out the years. Just like how compound interest works.  It doesn’t happen in one day, it accumulates one day at a time.

It is a proven fact that skills such as good communication, being positive team players and understanding finance are attributes that make good employees and owners of business. Public relationship skills, respect for others, the ability to express opinions and ideas, strategic planning and many more skills are the backbone of MAKING BETTER MEN.

These traits should be synonymous with AGR brothers wherever they are throughout their lifetime. This will cause them to rise above the pack, assume higher levels of responsibility, earn higher standards of living and to contribute more to the Food, Fiber and Life Sciences Industry.

Leadership is all about influence. If you become a leader you will have influence. AGR wants to provide the environment and training to aid each brother to reach their full potential for leadership and to poses those qualities that define leaders. AGR’s destiny will be achieved only through our members so lets prepare them well.

GOAL NUMBER THREE

ENDOW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Without adequate resources we will not be able to achieve our goals. Therefore it is important that one of the goals is to endow programs and services. We have been successful for nearly 100 years; adding about 1000 new brothers each year and helping them develop the skills to be successful. It’s now their turn to give back some fruits of their successes to help others to do the same. What better place can we think of to invest that can have such a positive and rewarding return. With our focus on the future and the potential for magnifying leadership values worldwide we stand a better chance of impacting the change positively and creating a better and broader Food, Fiber and Life Sciences industry.

We need resources to attract potential brothers. We need resources to develop ourselves into professionals and we need resources to grow our influences throughout the industry and the fraternity system.

This means accumulating funds, investing it wisely and good stewardship of all our resources.

You might be thinking how can any organization develop plans for 100 years. Or that this does not sound much different than the past 100 years. The truth is you are probably right on both points unless you grasp the subtleties of this plan. It does not contain details; it is strategic. This simplistic set of goats is visionary and can be a driving force year after year for 100 years and if achieved move us toward our destiny.

The differences may be in the simplicity and focus it provides. It can provide the common vision for the national brotherhood and a rallying point for us all. In working the plan at each local chapter it can provide the stimulus to challenge the barriers that are holding us back from greater achievements. It should provide the momentum to vault us into an environment where we can have greater influence as individuals and collectively as brother in the bond of Alpha Gamma Rho.

Like becoming a brother, we have selected these goals by choice. Lets embrace them and we will all be able to take pride in our 2nd Century.

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