"It's
all Greek to me" isn't just a saying; sorority recruitment can
literally be another language. Here are some terms you might hear during
the week and a simple guide to decoding what they really mean.
Bid: An invitation to membership in a chapter.
COB: Continuous open bidding; the opportunity for a chapter to invite women to membership after the formal recruitment period.
Initiation: The ceremony in which a new member becomes a full member of the organization.
Legacy: A woman whose direct family member (usually mother, sister or grandmother) is a member of a particular sorority. However, some organizations vary on which relatives are given legacy status, so be sure to check.
New Member: A member of an organization who has not been through the initiation ceremony.
Panhellenic Association: The local campus association composed of all National Panhellenic
Conference
(NPC) sorority chapters on campus; Panhellenic means "all Greek." This
group organizes and runs recruitment and plans educational and social
activities for all sorority women on campus.
Potential New Member (PNM): A woman eligible for or participating in the recruitment process.
Recruitment Counselor: A woman who is a neutral representative of the sorority community and is able to answer questions about recruitment and sorority life.
Quota: The number of women each chapter is allowed to extend bids to.
Recommendation/Reference:
A method for alumnae members of an organization to recommend a woman
for membership. Each inter/national organization has its own procedure
for submitting these, which the alumnae members will be aware of.