Fraternity Glossary

Are people throwing around words and phrases about fraternities, and you aren’t sure what they mean??  Well check out the listing below, it should answer most of your questions- if not let us know!

Active: A member of a fraternity who has been initiated and is currently in college.

Alumnus/Alumni: An initiated member of a fraternity who has received their undergraduate degree.

Bid: A formal invitation to join a fraternity.

Big Brother: An older member assigned to assist and mentor a new member in his transition to the fraternity.

Brother: A term used within fraternities when referring to other initiated members.

Call: Audible sounds used by members of to acknowledge or gain the attention of other members.

Chapter: A chartered undergraduate or alumni group that is recognized by the inter/national fraternity.

Formal Recruitment: A structured period set aside by some universities where potential members and chapters participate in a mutual selection process to match potential members with chapters.

Frater(s): Member(s) of the same fraternity.

Hand Sign: Symbol or gesture made with the hand(s) that signify membership in a particular organization. Hand signs are special to members of that organization and should not be replicated by non-members.

House Director: A person who is hired to supervise the kitchen, plan menus, and manage the food budget and also assist in house management: often known as a “house mom” or “house dad”.

Informal/Open Recruitment: The unstructured recruitment process by which fraternities and sororities take members throughout the academic year.

Informational: A meeting to provide membership information to prospective members.  Also referred to as an interest meeting.

Initiation: The formal ritual ceremony that brings new members into full membership of the fraternity.  Through initiation, members learn and oblidge themselves to the ideals of the fraternity.  Many initiation ceremonies are open to initiated members only.

Interfraternity Council (IFC): The governing body of all men’s fraternity chapters on a campus.

Legacy: A prospective member whose parent, sibling, or grandparent is an alumni or active of a fraternity.

Membership Intake: The process of acquiring membership into a NPHC organization.  NOTE: Analogous to the recruitment process.

National Organization of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO): The association of traditionally Hispanic men and women’s organizations

National or International Organization: The Inter/National organization that issues the charter for a chapter.  This entity is comprised of the inter/national officers for the organization and is responsible for setting and enforcing fraternity policy.

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): The governing association for the 26 women’s fraternities and sororities.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): The governing body of historically Black sororities and fraternities, sometimes referred to as the Divine Nine, being derived from  the nine organizations that make up the council.

New Member: A man who has accepted an invitation to membership in a fraternity, but has not been initiated.

New Member Education Period: The period of time before initiation when new members learn about their fraternity.

North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): The trade association for the inter/national men’s general college fraternities.

Panhellenic Association (PHA): The governing body for all twenty-six National Panhellenic Conference sororities.

Philanthropy: Fund-raising projects sponsored by fraternities or sororities supporting local and inter/national charitable organizations.

Potential Members: Any person who is not a current member of a fraternity.