GREEK ALPHABET

 

 

GREEK VOCABULARY

Alumni/ae: members of a fraternity or sorority who have graduated from college.

Bid: a formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.

Bid Card: the final card on which a potential member ranks the sorority she would like to join in order of preference.

Big Brother/Big Sister: a fraternity brother/sorority sister assigned to a new member to help transition into fraternity/sorority.

Brother/Sister: a term used by fraternity/sorority members to refer to one another.

Chapter: a campus division of a national sorority or fraternity.

Fraternity: the name applied to all Greek-letter organizations. Informally, this name applies men's groups while women's organizations may be called sororities or female fraternities.

Greeks: members of a general Greek-letter fraternity or sorority.

Greek Community: to keep its identity a secret, the first fraternity ever created used Greek letters as its name-Phi Beta Kappa. Now all sororities and fraternities are part of what is called the Greek System.

Greek Week: an annual celebration in which chapters participate in educational, social, and service events. It is a time for all Greek organizations to unify.

Hazing: degrading mental or physical acts toward an individual; strictly forbidden by IFC, NPHC, Panhellenic, MWSU, and the state of Missouri.

Initiation: the formal ceremony that brings a new member into full Greek membership. Each chapter has a different set of requirements that must be met in order to be initiated.

Initiate: a fully initiated member of a fraternity or sorority.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): the governing body of four nationally recognized fraternities at MWSU.

Legacy: a potential member of a fraternity or sorority with a parent, grandparent, or sibling who was a member of a Greek organization.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): the governing body of nine nationally recognized fraternities sororities; two of which are active and official on MWSU's campus.

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): the governing body of 26 national and international sororities and female fraternities, four of which are active and operate on MWSU's campus.

Philanthropy: a service project sponsored by a chapter from which donations of goods, money, and/or time are given to charitable organizations.

Potential Member: a college woman or man who is participating in Recruitment.

Quota: a specified number of women a Panhellenic sorority may offer bids to during formal recruitment.

Recruitment: the activity by which fraternities or sororities and potential members become acquainted

Ritual: the traditional ceremony of a fraternity or sorority

Recruitment Guide (Rho Gamma): a disaffiliated member of a sorority serving as a guide to potentials during Formal Recruitment.