Glossary of Greek Terms

Active: A fully initiated member of a fraternity/ sorority, often called "brothers" or "sisters". Applies to collegiate members.

Alumna(ae) or Alumnus(i): An initiated sorority or fraternity member who has graduated from college.

Chapter: 1)The collegiate group of a National fraternity or sorority. 2) Weekly meetings of individual Greek organizations.

Associate Member: One who has been accepted as a probationary member of a sorority or a fraternity but who has not yet been initiated.

Bid: An invitation from a chapter to join the organization - once a bid is given to an individual,k they can either accept or deny the bid. Individuals can only accept a bid from ONE organization. Once the bid is accepted, they will soon commence the new member education process.

Call: Audible sounds used by members to acknowledge or gain attention of other members or to represent their presence.

Colony: A developing branch of a nationally recognized organization that is not a fully recognized Greek letter chapter at Syracuse University.

Continuous Open Bidding (COB): The period during which any group not having met its quota of members may rush and recruit individuals.

Fraternity: The name that applies to all Greek-Letter organizations. Each is symbolized by its ritual, a badge/pin, and a strong tie of friendship.

Gear: Uniform

Graduate Chapter: Alumni/ae chapter affiliated with NPHC organizations.

Greek: A student affiliated with a fraternity or sorority.

Hand Sign: Hand signals primarily used to signifuy and identify a chapter member's affiliation.

Informational: Information sessions held, primarlily for LGC, MGLC and NPHC groups, to recruit new members.

Initiation: Ritualistic ceremony during which new members receive life-long membership priveledges.

Intentional Single Preference:(suicide/suiciding) When a rushee lists only one sorority on her preference card.

NPC/Panhel: National Panhellenic Conference; governs the sororties.

New Member Education Process: (pledging/pledge process/intake/online)- The time period in which cadidaties for active membership learn about the organizationand particiapte in brotherhood/sisterhood-building activities.

Quota: The maximum number of women a Panhellenic sorority may recruit during formal Rush.

Rush Counselor: (Rho Chi) Panhellenic representative who has no contact with her own chapterduring rush and is available to guide rushees through the rush process and answer questions.

Rush: The membership recruitment period for a Greek letter organization.

Pledge/ New Member: Someone who has accepted a bid to join a fraternity or sorority. To "pledge" is also the process of joining a Greek-letter organization.

Sorority: The term applied to a women's Greek organizations; in actuality, sororities are formally termed "women's fraternities."

Sorority Silence: The period fo time at the close of formal rush where there is no communication between rushees and sorority members.

Hazing: The Pennsylvania Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi recognizes and abides by all hazing regulations set forth by Bucknell University and the Panhellenic Council Constitution. Hazing is not, and will not, be tolerated by the sister or nation organization of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity.

Greek Statistics:

• 85% of Fortune 500 executives are Greek
• Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity men
• 76% of U.S. Congressmen and Senators are Greek
• All but two U.S. Presidents and two Vice Presidents since 1825 have been Greek
• 85% of the U.S. Supreme Court Jusitices since 1910 have been Greek
• 63% of the U.S. President's cabinet members since 1900 are Greek
• A U.S. Government study shows that over 70% of all those who join a fraternity/sororitiy graduate, while under 50% of all non-Greek persons graduate
• 62% of fraternity and sorority members are involved with at least one student organization outside of their chapters