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Greek Glossary & Alphabet

Active: A person who has been initiated into membership in a Greek organization.

Alumna: An initiated woman who graduated from college. (plural: alumnae)

Alumnus: An initiated man who graduated from college. (plural: alumni)

Associate: One who has accepted the bid of a Greek organization and is preparing for initiation. Also known as a new member or pledge.

Bid: A formal invitation to join a Greek organization.

Chapter: The local group of a larger national or international organization.

Continuous Open Bidding (COB): A process in which a potential member can be offered a bid after women’s formal recruitment.

Formal Recruitment: A series of parties or events during a period which is scheduled and governed by the Panhellenic Council or the Interfraternity Council.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): The governing body of campus fraternities, made up of representatives from all social and national fraternities on campus.

Initiation: The formal ceremony in which an individual enters into full membership of a sorority or fraternity.

Legacy: A prospective member whose grandmother, mother or sister is an alumna of or active in a particular sorority, or whose grandfather, father or brother is an alumnus of, or active in, a particular fraternity. A sorority or fraternity is not obligated to pledge its legacies.

Panhellenic Council: The governing body of campus sororities, made up of representatives from all social and national sororities on campus.

Philanthropy: A national or local nonprofit charity that a chapter supports through fund-raisers or other events.

Potential New Member: An unaffiliated student participating in recruitment.

Sister/Brother: A term used by members of a sorority/fraternity when referring to their chapter members.