Texas A & M University
TAMU MS 2471
College Station, TX 77843-2471
The Texas A&M University Block & Bridle Club,
affectionately known around Aggieland as Saddle &
Sirloin, got off to a busy start this year with our Ice Cream Social and the
somewhat new tradition of the
game, Family Feud "S&S style". After getting to know the new members of the
club, S&S hosted a fun-filled afternoon of games and pizza, entitled Back to
School Bash. Throughout the fall semester, S&S hosts several social events
including the Halloween Social and the Christmas Formal. Each of these social activities is accompanied by a toy and food drive to benefit the community.
One of S&S's largest activities in the fall semester is the Children's Barnyard.
During this event over
5,000 local elementary school children learn about various types of livestock
and gain hands on
experience with some of the animals. One of the fundraisers held in the fall is
the Fall BBQ. This
gives the club an opportunity to recognize the judging teams and get ready for
the upcoming year. Following the BBQ, S&S has an auction, in which members
collect items from the community. Our club's largest fundraiser, however, is Ham
Sales. We sell hams for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, raising thousands
of dollars for the club.
We kicked off the spring semester when thirty of out members attended the
National Block & Bridle
Convention in January in Washington, D.C. The semester was filled with many
activities for our club including the petting zoo, COALS Ag Open House, and
Intramurals. The L.D. Wythe Memorial Judging Contest, held in March,
includes an experienced and rookie contest. The contest encompasses all judging aspects from livestock to meats and also includes wool and mohair
grading. After the first Spring meeting in April, S&S hosts its annual Ham
Trimming Contest where members compete against one another for the awards of
Champion and Reserve Champion Ham Trimmer, bases on actual yield and quality of
workmanship.
The hams from the Ham Trimming Contest are then used for the annual Ham Auction.
This event occurs on Parents Weekend along with the 63rd Annual Little
Southwestern. The Little Southwestern is an
intramural showmanship contest hosted by our club. The Saddle & Sirloin
club provides cattle, sheep,
goats, and swine for any A&M student who is interested in showing animals.
Following the Little Southwestern is the Spring Banquet, in which scholarships,
judging awards,
various club awards, as well as outstanding student awards are given.
We had a great year, as out membership totaled 253 students, with 101 of these
being new initiates. We
look forward to the coming years and hope that our club can continue to be one
of the best on campus!!
Officers:
President - Johnny Philipello
Vice President - Kristin Voges
Secretary - Chad Fisher
Treasurer - Meredith McGowan
Reporter - Laura Real
Public Relations - Kelton Mason
Ag Council Rep - Chanda Hoppe
Ag Council Rep - Bethany Solomon
Sweetheart - Heidi St. Cyr
Advisors:
Dr. Jim Sanders
Dr. Jodi Sterle
Mr. Paul Maulsby
