[hoosier]

I share Tom's scholarly post, cuz Eric has gone politically correct.

"National" is a kind of ugly short-hand most nationals despise, but just as "frat" lives in the vocabulary of non-members, "national" lives in undergrads and alums forever.

In my other interests, such as youth soccer, youth hockey, and the teachers union, the local people all use "national" as some distant entity which sucks up money, and sends out stupid rules - much as my International Hdqtrs. in Indianapolis does.

And their latest: if my chapter will pledge 25 percent more (and send them several thousand addl. dollars), they'll send the chapter a weenie plaque, and ask them to stand up at some "International Conclave" banquet (if we pay our own way there and pay the Conclave reg. fee).