Commonly Used Greek Terms

Active - A person who has been initiated into a lifelong membership in a Greek organization. Traditionally, it is used to identify an undergraduate.

Alumnus - A fraternity member who is a non-student. Plural: alumni. The corresponding words for women are alumna and alumnae.

Alumni/Alumna Association - An organization of Greek alumni from a fraternity/sorority. It may be chapter related or represent a geographical area.

Archon - The vice-president of a Pi Lambda Phi chapter.

Badge - The symbol worn by an initiated member of a Greek organization.

Bid - An invitation to a rushee to join a Greek organization.

Big Brother - An active brother assigned to a new member to provide advice and guidance through the new member education period.

Brother - An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member (e.g. Brother Jones).

Chapter - a chartered campus membership unit of a Greek organization. Some groups also use this term for its alumni membership units.

Chapter Advisor - An alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as teacher, counselor and friend.

Chapter Eternal - Term used to memorialize those members of the Fraternity who have passed away.

Colony - A student organization in the final stage prior to being installed as a chartered chapter of a Greek organization.

Depledge - The termination of a new member's relationship with a Greek organization.

Dry Rush - The policy of not serving alcoholic beverages at rush functions.

Exchange - An activity where the members of one Greek organization visit the chapter of another Greek organization for a social event (also referred to as a "social").

Executive Board - The governing body of a Pi Lambda Phi chapter consisting of the Rex, Archon, Keeper of the Exchequer, and Scribe.

Formal Rush - The major period of a year or semester with specific scheduled events.

Fraternity - An individual men's Greek organization, especially a general college fraternity (as distinguished from an honour, professional or recognition fraternity or society), and the term applied to all Greek organizations.

House - A chapter's physical facility which serves as a home for its members.

Informal Rush - A year round or continuous open rush with no specific, scheduled, system-wide activities of rushing and joining. Bids may be extended and accepted at any time. Also known as "open rush."

Initiation - A ritualistic ceremony in which a new member becomes an initiate--a full, lifelong member of a Greek organization.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) - The cooperative organization of all men's general college fraternities on an individual campus. Pi Lam chapters are required to be members of their local IFC.

International Fraternity - A general fraternity with chapters in more than one nation. Pi Lambda Phi is an International Fraternity.

Keeper of the Exchequer - The treasurer of a Pi Lambda Phi chapter.

Legacy - An undergraduate relative of a Greek organization member who is extended a full consideration during the rush and new member process.

Local Fraternity - A Greek letter group which exists on campus but has no affiliation with a national Greek organization.

North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) - A cooperative organization of men's general college fraternities, of which Pi Lambda Phi is a member.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) - The cooperative organization of men's and women's general college fraternities and sororities whose membership is primarily African-American.

New Member - A person who has accepted the bid of a Greek organization, received the new member pin, and is engaged in preparing for initiation, but has not yet been initiated into full membership. Formerly referred to as a "pledge."

Non-Sectarian Fraternity - A Greek organization which does not have discriminatory membership practices. Pi Lambda Phi was the first non-sectarian fraternity.

Philanthropy - A program of projects conducted by a Greek organization, benefitting persons or groups in the community or on campus.

Pinning - The practice of a fraternity giving its rushees the new member pin.

Pledge Marshal - The person who instructs and guides new members during the education period. It is his job to ensure that the new members learn and understand the values and history of the fraternity in which they are trying to be initiated.

Rex - The president of a Pi Lambda Phi chapter.

Rush - A program (and period of time) of membership recruitment by Greek organizations.

Rushee - A non-member who is eligible to participate in the rush program, visiting Greek organizations with an interest in joining one organization.

Scribe - The secretary of a Pi Lambda Phi chapter.

Sorority - A women's Greek organization. This is the term commonly used to distinguish between men's (fraternities) and women's (sororities) organizations. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name, others describe themselves as a "women's fraternity".