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Greek Glossary
ACTIVE:
an undergraduate who has been initiated into life-long membership.
ALUMNI:
Greek members who are college graduates.
ALUMNA:
a sorority member who is no longer in college; plural is alumnae.
BID:
an invitation to a potential member to join a sorority or fraternity. No bid (written or oral)may be extended during formal recruitment except through Panhellenic/Interfraternity Council-a bid issued in any other manner is not binding and is considered illegal.
BID LIST:
used in bid matching to coordinate sorority and fraternity and potential member preferences.
CALL:
a yell used mostly by NPHC/ MGC organizations. Used to identify and greet brothers and sisters.
CHAPTER:
the name applied to the local organization of a national fraternity or sorority..
CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT:
also called informal recruitment; a time, other than formal recruitment, when bids may be extended and accepted.
EVENT/ROUND:
a structured recruitment event, usually repeated several times during formal recruitment.
EXCHANGE:
a social activity involving two or more Greek organizations.
FORMAL RECRUITMENT:
a designated membership recruitment time period during which a series of organized activities are held by each sorority, fraternity, or governed by Panhellenic/IFC.
FRAT:
NPHC term used to refer to one’s fraternity or a fraternity brother.
IFC:
Interfraternity Council- the governing body of the fraternity system.
INTAKE:
the period of training before initiation when NPHC new members learn the history and traditions of the organization.
INTEREST MEETING:
meeting for prospective members to receive information about and meet members of an NPHC organization.
INITIATION:
a ritual ceremony through which new members learn the full meaning of their Greek organization.
LEGACY:
usually a potential member who is the sibling, child, or grandchild of an active member or an alumni of a Greek organization.
LINE: (also referred to as “Ship”):
a group of new members in a specific NPHC chapter, in a specific semester.
MEMBERSHIP SELECTION:
the right of each sorority and fraternity to select their own members.
MGC:
Multi-Cultural Greek Council-The governing body of all Greek Organization not on IFC NPC or NPHC.
NEOPHYTE:
New member of an NPHC organization; also called a “Neo”.
NEW/ASSOCIATEMEMBER:
a student who has accepted the bid or invitation for membership of a Greek organization but has not been initiated.
NIC:
North-American Interfraternity Conference- a national confederation of 64 men’s fraternities.vNPC: National Panhellenic Conference- the conference body of the 26 women’s sororities established in 1902 to support the collegiate and alumnae chapters of the groups.
NPHC:
National Pan-Hellenic Council- the national governing body for the nine historically African-American sororities and fraternities.
POTENTIAL MEMBER:
a student who is interested in becoming a member of a Greek organization and has registered for the formal recruitment process.
PREFERENCE:
the final round of formal recruitment events.
PROBATE SHOW:
event where newly initiated members of an NPHC group perform step routines and reveal themselves to the public after their intake period.
PROPHYTE:
An older member of an NPHC organization.
QUOTA:
the number of women each NPC sorority may pledge during formal recruitment (number varies each year).
RECOMMENDATION:
a letter written by alumnae members of sororities recommending a potential member for membership.
RECRUITMENT COUNSELOR:
a collegiate Panhellenic representative who is not in contact with her own chapter during recruitment and is available to guide potential new members through the recruitment process, also called Rho Gamma .
REGRET:
declining an NPC invitation by a potential new member.
RELEASE:
The term used by a PM to not accept an invitation by a sorority or by the sorority when a PM has not been invited. Being “released” completely from recruitment ideally means a PM no longer has invitations to sorority events.
RHO GAMMA:
NPC undergraduate Recruitment Advisor formal potential new members.
SILENCE:
the period of time during the formal recruitment process when there is no communication between NPC potential members and sorority members.
SINGLE INTENTIONAL PREFERENCE:
when a potential member only lists one NPC sorority on her preference card when she has several options.
SOROR:
NPHC term referring to one’s sorority sister.
STEPPING/STEP SHOW:
a tradition of NPHC organizations where routines are performed.