Greek Life Glossary

  Active: An initiated member of a fraternity or sorority. A member in good standing. 
 
  Alumna/Alumnus: An initiated member who has graduated. Female and male, respectively. Singular (Alumnae/Alumni are plural). 
 
  Alumni/Alumnae Chapters: All national organizations have chapters that individuals can be involved in after their collegiate days are over. 
 
  Associate/New Member: A member of a fraternity or sorority who’s not yet initiated. 

  Badge (Pin): Outward symbol of membership, usually in the way of a pin or badge given to members when initiated. Many organizations also have new member pins. 

  Bid: An invitation to a potential member to join a sorority and fraternity. 

  Big Brother/Big Sister: An active member who befriends and becomes like an older brother/sister to a new member. 

  Call/Chant Audible: Sounds used by members to acknowledge or gain the attention of other members. Calls may vary regionally within organizations, and some organizations may use more than one call. Please do not repeat a call, chant or response. It is considered a sign of disrespect. 

  Chapter: The local organization of undergraduate students on a campus recognized by the university and the national or international organization. 

  Club: A term used to denote someone who has the same line position as you. 

  Crossed: A term used by members of Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council groups to indicate that a new member has fully initiated into a group. 

  Charter: The document from a headquarters to a chapter that indicates the group of students on that campus are members of the inter/national organization. 
 
  City-Wide Chapter: Common in National Pan-Hellenic Council, this is a term of a chapter that is not just on one campus but has membership on many in the city. 

  College Panhellenic Council (CPC): The governing body of the National Panhellenic Council sororities and associate chapters at CU Boulder. 

  Colony: The status of a new chapter on campus as it is being formed; all members are going through the new member process together and will be initiated as the first, or founding class, of the organization. 
 
  Colors: The official pair or triad of colors that represent a specific Greek organization. 
 
  Continuous Open Recruitment/Bidding (COR/COB): Also called informal recruitment—a time, other than formal recruitment, when bids may be distributed. 
 
  Crest: Insignia used by sorority/fraternity members. Most Greek organizations reserve the crest for initiated members only. Each crest has hidden, secret meanings. Also known as a coat of arms or shield. 

  Depledge: To terminate one’s fraternity or sorority membership before initiation. 
 
  Disaffiliate: When a member temporarily removes his or her association from his or her chapter, usually during formal recruitment time. 

  Divine Nine (D9): Refers to the nine organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. 

  Dry: An event is alcohol free. 
 
  Dues: Fee associated with joining a fraternity or sorority. Covers costs of operation, formal events, activities and other events; varies by chapter. 

  Datebook: Panhellenic term used to signify a round of recruitment. This is a structured recruitment event, usually repeated several times during formal recruitment.  

  Formal Recruitment: Designated period in the fall when potential new members and Panhellenic sororities get to know each other through a week of structured events. Formal recruitment is a mutual selection process, which means that both the potential members and the individual sororities are making choices. 

  Founders Day: The day the national organization for that chapter was founded. 

  Inactive Member: A member who has elected to become inactive in sorority/fraternity life. They have no say or participation in chapter activities and lose the benefits of membership.  

  CU Interfraternity Council (CUIFC): The governing body of the fraternity organizations at CU Boulder. 

  Initiation: A formal ceremony during which new members become active members of their chapter. 

  Initiated Member: Any member who has gone through the initiation ceremony. 

  Intake/Membership Intake: Term for the process by which National Pan-Hellenic Council members are selected to become new members of an organization. 

  Informational/Interest Meeting: A forum for individuals interested in seeking information about a Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternity or sorority. 

  Ism: A term used to refer to an individual that has the same line number as you. 

  Legacy: An immediate family member of an initiated member, generally a sister or daughter. Some sororities also recognize grandchildren, stepsisters and stepdaughters. 

  Line: A group of individuals going through the membership intake process together. 

  Line Brother/Sister: A term used for members of a Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations who were initiated at the same time into the same organization. 

  Matriculated: How the university defines a full-time student. A woman must be fully matriculated to participate in recruitment and join a chapter. 
 
  Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA): A signed card by a potential new member after the last Panhellenic recruitment event. It indicates the potential new member’s preference of the chapters she attended in the last round. 
 
  Mutual Selection: The process of chapters and potential new members matching in order to bid them for College Panhellenic Council organizations. 

  Multicultural Greek Council (MGC): The umbrella organization for the culturally-based sororities and fraternities at CU Boulder. 

  Neophyte: New member of a National Pan-Hellenic Council organization; also called a “Neo.” 
 
  North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): National confederation of 66 men’s fraternities. 
 
  National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The national governing body for the nine historically African American sororities and fraternities. 
 
  National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): The conference body of the 26 women’s sororities established in 1902 to support the collegiate and alumnae chapters of the NPC member groups. 
 
  New Member: A person who has accepted an invitation to a chapter and has not yet been initiated. 

  New Member Period: The period of time prior to initiation when a new member learns about her sorority’s values and expectations and develops relationships within that organization. 

  New Member Presentation/Probate: A performance where the newest members of a Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council organization present history, reveal who they are and typically stroll or step. 

  On the Yard: A National Pan-Hellenic Council phrase meaning that a chapter is currently chartered/active on campus. 
 
  Order of Omega: National honor society that recognizes and promotes Greek leadership and scholastics. 

  Philanthropy: A charitable project sponsored by a fraternity or sorority. Each national organization has a formally recognized philanthropy. 

  Potential New Members (PNM): A prospective new member of a sorority. 

  Prophyte: A member of a Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council group that has initiated new members into their organization. 

  Quota: The number each National Panhellenic Council women’s sorority may pledge on a campus during the formal recruitment process. This number varies each year.  

  Recommendation Letters: A letter written by alumnae members of sororities recommending a potential member for membership. Not a requirement for membership into a sorority. 
 
  Release Figure Methodology (RFM): The method used by National Panhellenic Council for all chapters on a campus to match to quota at the end of the formal recruitment process. Based on three years of past data and live data from the present year. 
 
  Rho Gamma: An active sorority woman who has chosen to serve as recruitment counselor to assist and counsel potential new members during the formal recruitment process. 
 
  Ritual: Sacred, secret and inspirational ceremonies used to encourage and educate members about the importance of the organization. 
 
  Roll Call: Common at National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council events. Each organization present is announced and given a short amount of time to do their call.  

  Ship (SS): Members who are in the same line for a National Pan-Hellenic Council organization. 

  Syands: A term used to refer to other members of Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council groups who were initiated during the same year and semester. They do not have to belong to the group. 

  Sign: A hand symbol unique to each Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council group. Please do not imitate an organization’s sign; it is a sign of disrespect. 

  Stepping: A tradition where members synchronize their moves without music. Members will clap, stomp with their feet, jump, chant, etc. 

  Strolling: Members move together in a line expressing pride for their organization through their call, sign or custom dances. Please do not imitate the stroll or cut in between members of the line. 
 
  Social: A get-together with another Greek organization.  
 
  Soror: National Pan-Hellenic Council term referring to one’s sorority sister. 

  Total: The allowable chapter size, as determined by the College Panhellenic Council, including both new members and initiated members. 

  Yard: A term used by National Pan-Hellenic Council groups to refer to the campus.