ACTIVE – Commonly used term to denote a fraternity or sorority member.
ALUMNAE – A fraternity member (female) no longer in college.
ALUMNAE PANHELLENIC – An area organization of alumnae (post college members) of National Panhellenic Conference sororities.
BID – Invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.
CHAPTER – Membership unit of a fraternity or a sorority.
COLLEGE PANHELLENIC – The cooperative college organization of women’s National Panhellenic Conference fraternities.
DEFERRED RECRUITMENT – Recruitment week scheduled sometimes after the beginning of school, in the second semester, or at the beginning of sophomore year.
DROPPING OUT – If it becomes necessary for a potential member to discontinue attendance at recruitment parties, she should check with her College Panhellenic as to procedures and registration for recruitment at a later date.
FRATERNITY – Name that applies to all Greek Letter organizations, characterized by a ritual, pin and strong ties of friendship. Informally, women’s fraternities are called sororities.
INFORMATION FILES – Card file used by all sorority groups compiled by Alumnae Panhellenic from information furnished by college bound women interested in recruitment.
INITIATION – Inspirational ceremony by which pledges are made members.
INTENTIONAL SINGLE PREFERENCE “SOLOING” – Intention indication of only one choice at preferential signing. NPC strongly recommends every potential member list at least a second preferential choice.
LEGACY – Generally defined as a daughter, sister, or granddaughter of an initiated member, although each sorority may have its own definition of a legacy.
LOCAL – A campus organization, often with a Greek Letter name, which does not have chapters on other campuses and which is not a member of National Panhellenic Conference.
OPEN RECRUITMENT – A period following Formal Recruitment with informal rushing without scheduled parties. This time is designed by the College Panhellenic.
PANHELLENIC – Meaning “All Greek”, it is the organization nationally, locally, and on college campuses to further the aims of all member groups.
PLEDGE – A young woman who has accepted a fraternity bid but has not yet been initiated.
PREFERENTIAL BIDDING – A system used at the conclusion of Formal Recruitment when potential members and sororities indicate their choices.
PROSPECTIVE MEMBER – High school graduate or an unaffiliated college student or transfer who plans to attend (or who is already attending) a college which has sororities and who is interested in sorority membership.
QUOTA – System used to equalize, in general, the number of members in each campus group. This is the number of women who may be pledged by each group in Recruitment. The quota is set by the College Panhellenic and depends on the number of potential members and sororities on the campus.
RECOMMENDATION – Information form from an alumnae which sponsors a prospective member.
RECRUITMENT WEEK – Period of time formally designated by the College Panhellenic for entertaining potential members.
SILENCE – The period of time designated by College Panhellenic when there is no communication between potential members and members of the sorority.