GREEK DICTIONARY

Active- A fully initiated member of a fraternity and sorority.

Alumnus- An initiated member of a fraternity or sorority who is no longer in college.

Badge- Pin of an initiated member.

Bid- A formal invitation to membership in a fraternity or a sorority.

Bid Matching- A system of matching a Potential New Member preference with a sorority preference

Call- The verbal greeting members give each other.

Chapter- The local group of a fraternal organization.

Formal Recruitment/Membership Recruitment- The period set aside for membership selection.

Fraternity- The name applied to Greek organizations, including most sororities; informally it is applied to men’s groups.

Graduate Chapter- A chapter of a fraternity or sorority formed by and for persons beyond their undergraduate years.

Greeks-Students affiliated with Greek letter sororities and fraternities

Initiation- A ceremony by which pledges become active members.

Intake- The process through which new members are admitted into a fraternity or sorority.

Interfraternity council- The central governing body of all fraternities.

Junior Panhellenic- An organization of new sorority members which unites and coordinates activities to become involved in  the Greek system.

Legacy- A Potential New Member who has a family member that was an active member.

National- The central organization of a particular sorority or fraternity.

NPC- (National Panhellenic Conference)  A national organization composed of 26 women’s fraternities, each of which is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter-society or college women, undergraduate and alumnae.

NPHC-(National Pan-Hellenic Council) A national organization composed of four sororities and five fraternities whose membership is historically African American.

Open Bidding-A period when there may be informal, continuous open recruitment with no definite scheduled parties. Bids may be extended and accepted without preferential or involved procedures.

Panhellenic-The local coordinating and governing organization for sororities.

New Member-title given to a new member from the time he/she is affiliated until the time he/she is initiated

New Membership- A period of learning the history, ideals and operations of the organization.

Philanthropy-A charity/service project sponsored by individual chapters.

Quota- A specified number of Potential New Members each sorority may accept.

Ritual- The traditional ceremonies of a chapter, which are usually secret.

Potential New Member-(PNM) A person interested in becoming a member of a fraternity/sorority.

PI Chi/ Recruitment counselor- Fraternity/sorority member serving as a counselor to all PNM”s during recruitment.

Sorority- A Greek letter women’s organization.