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Terminology: Nationals vs. Headquarters
One thing that I learned back in 1992-1993 when I traveled for "Nationals" is that calling Headquarters/the General Fraternity "Nationals" is improper and insulting. This was surprising to me since that is the term we used throughout my undergraduate years.
It's kind of like when non-Greeks refer to us as a "frat" instead of a fraternity. They don't know they are being rude - they just don't know any better. It's also like a person "gang-planking" their knife from the table to their plate instead of properly placing it across the top of their plate per ettiquite. They are not trying to be rude, they were simply never taught proper manners at the table.
So it is with "Nationals". The proper way to refer to the people who work there and the physical location in Lexington, VA is either "Headquarters" or "the General Fraternity". If any of you are going to Grand Chapter and expect to be interacting with the Headquarters staff, you will impress them by referring to them as "Headquarters staff" or "General Fraternity staff" and, in fact, be considered properly educated. Those who ignorantly refer to them as "Nationals" will be considered uneducated similarly to one who would use the word "aint" in a sentence and think nothing of it.
I hope all of you receive my instruction in the grace with which it is intended - as an instruction of ettiquite.
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