That's okay, Titchou already answered my question so I'm set. Thanks, though!

Best,
R

I will note, that whatever specific reason applies the situation at the time of the founding of the older 8 members of the NPHC (who were founded between 1906 (Alpha Phi Alpha) and 1922 (Sigma Gamma Rho), that it is also deliberately used by the ninth member of Iota Phi Theta (founded in 1963). Groove Phi Groove, Swing Phi Swing, Wine Psi Phi and MALIK, also founded during the 1950s-1960s also tend to emphasize the Incorporated.


I have also seen it used by chapters of non-NPHC groups on HBCU campuses including (found in a 5 minute google search)

• Alpha Phi Omega (chapters at Winston-Salem State and Florida A&M) and
• Gamma Sigma Sigma (chapters at Prairie View A&M and Florida Memorial)
• Kappa Kappa Psi (chapter at Lincoln)
• Tau Beta Sigma (chapter at Norfolk State)

I do believe that there can be both initial reasons *and* a recognition that it has become an expectation of Greek Letter Organizations and chapters with significant African-American membership

That's an interesting find. I just tried the same and got similar results. I think your analysis seems like a good one. It's a bit like the evolution of key style badges in that regard (a practical reason metamorphosing into a symbolic one).

Many thanks for the catch, Blue! I appreciate people helping with my English. In the circles in which I usually move there's a reticence to correct people publicly, and yet it really can be helpful. (I haven't spent much time in the South, I should probably think of taking a summer in Arkansas or West Virginia or someplace similar, perhaps, where there's less delicacy in interlocution. I might learn a fair amount!) Thanks again for the feedback!

I think the ignore feature might not be working, actually. Another user has twice interjected herself into threads to announce to everyone she has me on ignore but is still replying directly to my posts. Could be a software issue, maybe?

Ok, now you're just taking the piss.

I wouldn’t know how they do things in Arkansas or West Virginia (only driven through one and never set foot in the other), but you sure are coming off around here like a grade A arse. I generally only correct people who belabor pointing out issues with the writing of others. Does expounding on a writer’s use of “all” parenthetically no longer ring any bells? I certainly wouldn’t do it with anyone in polite conversation or polite society. While I have a graduate degree in English, I am the least grammar Nazi person you’ll find...because I believe that as long as one is getting the point across in non-academic settings, it really doesn’t matter too much.

^^^^
THIS

+1

Definitely agree with you on this, Blue!

As a note, this was the thread when I asked the question back in 2001!

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=1667

And as a Note, I'm sure that the Iota Phi Theta brother and I were talking across each other. The question is *not* whether the GLO is incorporated, frankly I'd be surprised if any GLO with more than 5 chapters and more than 10 years old *isn't* incorporated...

The question boils down to more or less "Why is there *emphasis* by the members in speech and print as to Incorporated as part of the descriptor of the organization".

• I've had that answered to by satisfaction that for the HB GLOs founded prior to WWII, (Example: Alpha Phi Alpha) it represents recognition of the higher difficulty of getting incorporation to work relative to other organizations.
  
• I recognize that for groups that are not HB GLOs on HB campuses (Example: Gamma Sigma Sigma) , that it represents an effort to fit the same cultural norms as the the other GLOs on that campus.
  
• For the HB GLOs founded in the 1960s (Examples: Iota Phi Thetas, Groove Phi Groove), the information as to whether it was still more difficult in the 1960s to incorporate for HB GLOs is something that I would love to see information about.