Well, we have to go with the terminology that the organizations use. I can see how that might be your conception of honorary, but many organizations seem to feel differently. Whether those initiated after college should be called "honorary" or not, the fact is they often are. My fraternity's constitution, for example, provides for four classes of membership: probationary (pledge), collegiate, alumnus and honorary.

A chapter can (with appropriate approval) initiate a chapter honorary and our National Executive Committee can at convention initiate a national honorary (Chapter designation: Alpha Alpha). The only differences between an honorary member and a collegiate or alumnus member is that the honorary member did not go through a probationary membership period and was not initiated while connected to an educational institution hosting a chapter. (Grad students and faculty/staff can be initiated as "collegiate" members and then transfer to alumnus status.) All honorary members must be initiated, though.

I can see why one might want a different term or at least wish that all GLOs used the same or similar terminology, but that horse has left the barn.

I think, for purposes such as this, the issue is whether the fraternity in question claims the president in question as a member. If they do, I'm not sure it's my place to dispute that claim simply because, under similar circumstances (such as not undergoing initiation), my fraternity would not claim him as a member.

Embarrassment? Is that what it was?

Nope. The media tries to turn nothing into something.

Hmmmm, am reminded of the story of Harry S Truman and a masonic meeting he attended while president.

The story goes that Truman (a past WM, ie lodge president) was invited to the initation of a new masonic Brother while president. As non-masons are NOT allowed into the chambers, his Secret Service detail wasn't going along with that. Truman said something to the affect that there are few places he would be safer then in a masonic chamber amoung his fellow masons, and entered, without the security guys.

My org has similiar groups, tho for us we call them pledge, active, alumni, and honorary. There is a further group: advisor. Some advisors are former actives, some aren't. Those that aren't, go thru the initiation ceremony, but obviously not the pledge program. Those advisors who stop being advisors become alumni.

As we allow grad students to pledge & be active, its possible to go from alum to being active by being a student and joining the chapter at that school as an active. (this is probably rare, but can happen).

Actually, he was past Grand Master of Missouri.

And fwiw, the story, as I have heard it, did still involve a search of the lodge room and of all present by the secret service. Great story, though.