Greek Terms 101

ACTIVE MEMBER:Someone who has been initiated into her chapter
ALUMNA:Any initiated member of a sorority who has graduated from college or left college prior to graduation
ALUMNAE:The plural form of alumna
BID:An official, binding invitation extended from a sorority to a potential new member to join the sorority
CHAPTER:Group of collegians, officially chartered and recognized at a given college or university
CONTINUOUS OPEN BIDDING:Process of issuing invitations to join a sorority anytime after formal membership recruitment ends
FORMAL MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT:One weekend in September where the Wichita State sororities recruit new members
FOUNDER:One who originates or establishes a fraternity or sorority
GREEK:Term applied to all sororities and fraternities
INITIATE:A woman who has undergone the initiation ceremony into a sorority
INTER-FRATERNITY COUNCIL:The governing body of fraternities
LEGACY:A daughter, sister, or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority
NEW MEMBER:A woman who accepts a bid from a sorority
PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION:An organization consisting of 4 nationally recognized sororities established to promote the Greek system and maintain relations among the sororities
PHILANTHROPY:Active efforts to promote human welfare in a variety of ways
PREFERENCES:A system by which a potential new member ranks the two sororities as her 1st and 2nd choices
POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER: A woman not affiliated with any sorority participating in formal membership recruitment
QUOTA:The number of new members any chapter may sign during a specific recruitment period
RECRUITMENT:A sorority woman chosen by Panhellenic to be disaffiliated from her group during the formal recruitment process to help potential new member’s.
RITUAL:The ceremonies celebrated and conducted by every chapter; the secret rites to membership
SNAP BID:A 24 hour period after bid matching is completed where sororities who have not reached quota may extend a bid to any woman who has not received a bid from another sorority.