Terms and Greek Alphabet : Fraternity & Sorority Life : IUPUI

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Terms

Alumna: A graduated member of a Women's sorority/fraternity: Plural Alumnae. Alumnae often support chapter activities through donations, assistance with advising, employment of undergraduates, etc.
Alumni Association: An organization of alumni from an individual fraternity or sorority. The association may be based on geographical location or chapter.
Alumnus: A graduated member of a Men's fraternity: Plural Alumni. Alumni often support chapter activities through donations, assistance with advising, employment of undergraduates, etc.
Badge/Pin (two types): The active pin is worn on the chest designating an initiated member of a certain fraternity. A new member or associate pin is simpler and is used to designate a new member or associate member of a particular fraternity.
Bid: An invitation to become a member of a fraternity or sorority.
Big Brother/Sister: An older member assigned to assist a new member or associate member.
Brother: An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member.
Call: The verbal greeting members within a certain fraternity/sorority give each other.
Chapter: The local campus group of an Inter/National fraternity or sorority.
Chapter Advisor: An alumna/alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as an educator and resource.
Colony: A newly-organized group working toward becoming a chartered chapter of an international fraternity or sorority.
Continuous Open Bidding: Some Panhellenic affiliated chapters continue to recruit and initiate women throughout the school year.
Crossing: A term used by National Pan Council groups to indicate that a new member has been fully initiated into the chapter.
Culturally Based Greek Letter Organization: A fraternity or sorority that has aspects of a specific culture incorporated into its ritual, purpose and ceremonies.
Faculty/Staff Advisor: A faculty/staff member who is the organization's representative to the university and who advises the organization on university matters.
Formal Recruitment: The major period of time set aside by the Panhellenic Council Chapters for meeting potential new members.
Fraternity: A men's Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a woman's fraternity.
Greek Organization: A fraternity or sorority (social, honor, or professional). See Also Greeks.
Greeks: Members of a fraternity or sorority. The term Greek was used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves. Proper terminology when referring to these organizations is Greek-lettered organizations or fraternities and sororities.
Hand Sign: A hand gesture made to identify a particular organization.
Hazing: Any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent.
House: An informal reference to an individual's fraternal organization.
Inactive Member: A member who has no material participation in undergraduate chapter activities, such as social activities, living in the chapter house or voting at undergraduate chapter meetings.
Informal Recruitment: A continuous, open recruitment period with no specific, scheduled, system-wide activities of recruitment and pledging. Bids may be extended and accepted at any time — see also Continuous Open Bidding.
Informational: A forum for individuals interested in seeking more information about a particular fraternity or sorority. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Initiation: A formal ceremony in which an individual becomes a full member of a Greek organization.
Interest Group: A group of individuals on campus in the first stage of the process leading to installation as a chapter of a Greek-letter organization.
(Inter)National Headquarters: The central organization of a particular fraternity or sorority. Some organizations are based within North-America while others are International in scope.
Legacy: A son/daughter, brother/sister, grandson/granddaughter or nephew/niece of a fraternity/sorority member.
Line: Individuals going through the membership intake process for a particular fraternal organization. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Member: See Active.
Membership Intake: A term given to National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities' and sororities' membership education process.
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organization (NALFO): National umbrella council for historically Latino Greek letter organizations. (See also www.nalfo.org/.)
National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPC): The governing body for 26 national and international women's fraternities/sororities. (See also www.npcwomen.org.)
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The umbrella council and governing body for nine historically African American fraternities and sororities, also known as Divine Nine. (See also www.nphchq.org.)
Neophyte: A new member of a fraternity or sorority. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
New Member: A person who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority chapter but has not yet been initiated. Also see Associate Member.
New Member (Pledge) Program: A time before initiation during which new members learn about their fraternity, its new members, activities, and responsibilities.
North-American Conference (NIC): The governing body for 66 national and international men's fraternities. (See also www.nicindy.org.)
Philanthropy: Events done by fraternities and sororities to raise money for local and national charities. Each organization has their own philanthropy to which they donate time, money, and energy.
Pledge: See New Member.
Pledging: The term used by fraternal organizations for individuals who are becoming members. More commonly referred to as a New Member Program.
Potential New Member (PNM): A person who is going through recruitment to join a fraternal organization.
Probate Show: A term used by chapters to designate the time when new members of a particular chapter present themselves to the campus community. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Neophyte: A new member of an NPHC fraternity or sorority.
New Member (Pledge) Program: A time before initiation during which new members learn about their fraternity, its new members, activities, and responsibilities.
Recruitment/Rush Chair: The person from each fraternity or sorority who is in charge of each chapter's recruitment functions.
Recruitment/Rush: A program (and period of time) of membership recruitment by fraternities and sororities primarily composed of events in which a chapter gets to know a potential new member (PNM) and they get to know the chapter. Recruitment is about finding the right fit for every PNM.
Ritual: The beliefs and oaths of a sorority or fraternity used in initiation ceremonies and chapter meetings. These traditions do not include any forms of hazing, because hazing weakens the bonds of brotherhood / sisterhood, and undermines the basic principles of fraternities or sororities. Ritual does unite all members with a common experience across multiple chapters and generations.
Sister: An initiated member of a sorority/women's fraternity. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member is refers to another member.
Sorority: A group of women joined together in friendship for leadership and academic purposes.
Stepping: A traditional performance involving dance, marching, calls, and symbolism of the traditional culture of an organization. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Strolling: Traditional dances or "party walks" by fraternities or sororities. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Yard: A term used by fraternities or sororities to indicate the campus. Used in phrases such as "which groups are on the yard," meaning which groups are presently active at IUPUI. Particularly common with culturally based fraternities and sororities.