Greek Glossary
Active - Commonly used term to denote a fraternity or sorority member in college.
Alumna - A sorority/fraternity member (feminine) no longer in college.
Alumnae - Plural of alumna
Alumnae Panhellenic - An area organization of alumnae (post college members) of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) member sororities.
Bid - Invitation to join a sorority or fraternity.
Chapter - Membership unit of a fraternity or sorority.
College Panhellenic - The cooperative college organization of women's NPC member sororities.
Deferred Membership Recruiting - Membership recruitment week scheduled sometime during the second semester, or at the beginning of sophomore year.
Dropping Out of Recruitment - To discontinue attendance at Recruitment events; The potential member should check with her College Panhellenic as to appropriate procedures.
Fraternity - Name that applies to all Greek-letter organizations, characterized by a ritual, pin, and strong ties of friendship*. Informally, women's fraternities are called sororities.
*Although the full name of a sorority may include either sorority or fraternity, informally all women's fraternities are called sororities.
Information File - File used by all sorority groups compiled by Alumnae Panhellenic from information furnished by college-bound women interested in Recruitment.
Initiation - Inspirational ceremony by which new members become full members.
Intentional Single Preference - Intentional indication of only one choice at preferential signing. National Panhellenic Conference strongly recommends every potential member list at least a second preferential choice.
Legacy - Generally defined as a daughter, sister or granddaughter of an initiated member, although each sorority has its own definition of a legacy.
Local - A campus organization, often with a Greek-letter name, which does not have chapters on other campuses, and which is not a member of NPC.
Membership Recruitment Week - Period of time formally designated by the College Panhellenic for meeting potential members.
New Member - A young woman who has accepted a fraternity bid, but has not yet been initiated.
Open Recruitment - A period following Formal Membership Recruitment with informal recruiting without scheduled events. This is designated by the College Panhellenic.
Panhellenic - Meaning "all Greek", it is the organization nationally and locally which seeks to further the aims of all member groups.
Potential New Member - High school graduate or an unaffiliated college or transfer student who plans to attend (or who is attending) a college which has sororities and who is interested in sorority membership.
Preferential Bidding - A system used at the conclusion of Formal Membership Recruitment when potential members and sororities indicate choices.
Quota - System used to equalize, in general, the number of members in each campus group. It means the number of women who may be offered bids in the recruitment process by each group. The quota is set by the College Panhellenic and depends on the number of potential new members and sororities on a particular campus.
Recommendation, Reference or Letter of Information - Specific form which gives information about a potential member. Each sorority has its own form.
Silence - The period of time designated by each College Panhellenic when there is no communication between potential members and college sorority members.
| About Sororities | Recruitment | Scholarship | About Panhellenic | Sponsors/Ads |
