Common Terminology
BADGE: Also referred to as “pin,” an insignia of fraternity or sorority membership worn by initiated members. Each sorority has its own unique badge.
BID: A formal invitation to join a sorority or fraternity.
BID DAY: The last day of primary recruitment, when PNMs receive bids to join chapters and become new members.
BIG SISTER: An active member of the chapter who is paired with a new member as a mentor.
CHAPTER: A local member group of a national organization.
CIRCLE OF SISTERHOOD: Panhellenic’s chosen philanthropy.
CONTINUOUS OPEN BIDDING (COB): The period in which a sorority has an opening in its membership and is able to recruit new members. The COB process is less formal, and not all chapters will participate in COB.
INITIATION: The formal ceremony that brings new members into full membership of a sorority or fraternity. Once you are initiated into a sorority, you are not eligible for membership into any other sorority.
INTAKE: Term for the process by which NPHC (on our campus Zeta Phi Beta) and NMGC (on our campus Theta Nu Xi) members are selected to become new members of an organization.
INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL (IFC): The governing body of the thirteen fraternities at WPI.
MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT ACCEPTANCE BINDING AGREEMENT (MRABA): A document that each PNM completes immediately after attending the preference round stating her membership preferences. The PNM ranks the sororities they would accept a bid from in preferential order. This is a binding agreement, stating that the PNM is willing to accept a bid from any sorority they lists.
NATIONAL MULTICULTURAL GREEK COUNCIL (NMGC): Founded in 1998. The National Multicultural Greek Council is an umbrella council for eleven multicultural fraternities and sororities in the United States.
NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE (NPC): Founded in 1902, NPC provides support and guidance for its 26 member inter/national sororities/women’s fraternities and serves as the national voice on contemporary issues of sorority life. NPC serves as the umbrella organization for all College Panhellenic Councils.
NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL (NPHC): Founded in 1930. The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative umbrella council composed of nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities, commonly called the Divine Nine, and also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations.
NEW MEMBER: A student who has accepted a bid for membership. After a period of education regarding the fraternity or sorority, the student is initiated to become a full member.
PANHELLENIC COUNCIL: The governing body of the seven sororities at WPI. Everyone who joins a Panhellenic sorority automatically becomes a member of the Panhellenic community.
PHILANTHROPY: A national and/or local charity that a sorority sponsors, donating time and money through service.
RHO GAMMA: Also known as a recruitment counselor, a sorority member who is partially disassociated from her chapter during primary recruitment to assist PNMs through the process. Each PNM is assigned a Rho Gamma.
POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER (PNM): Any non-male student who is eligible to participate in the primary recruitment process.
RECRUITMENT: A designated membership recruitment period during which a series of organized events are held for the purpose of selecting new members.
ROUND: A particular day of recruitment. There are three formal rounds: Round One, Round Two, and Preference Party. Within each round, the events that make up the rounds are called parties.
SISTER: A fellow sorority member.