Greek Alphabet & Terms
Greek Alphabet
Terms
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Active:
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A woman who has been initiated into lifelong sorority membership.
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Alumna:
An initiated sorority member who has graduated from college. -
Bid:
A formal invitation given to a potential new member to join a sorority. -
Chapter:
The local group of a national sorority. -
Initiation:
A formal ceremony through which new members become active members, sisters, of a sorority. -
Interfraternity Council (IFC):
The inter-fraternity programming and governing body; the fraternities’ equivalent of the Panhellenic Council. -
Legacy:
A woman whose mother, sister or grandmother is an active member or alumna of a sorority. -
New Member:
A woman who has accepted a sorority’s bid for membership but has not yet been initiated. -
Panhellenic Council (PHC):
The inter-sorority programming and governing body. -
Philanthropy:
A charitable fund-raiser or service project sponsored by a sorority or fraternity. -
Rho Gamma:
A sorority member who leads a Recruitment group of PNMs through the stages of Recruitment. She is unbiased and is willing to honestly answer any questions about sororities and recruitment. -
Potential New Member (PNM):
A woman who is participating in recruitment, commonly referred to as a PNM. -
Quota:
The maximum number of new members a sorority may accept through Formal Recruitment. -
Recommendation:
A written letter sent by an alumna recommending a woman for membership in a sorority. -
Sister:
A term used by sorority members in the same chapter to refer to one another.
