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Greek Terms & Definitions
Active
An undergraduate member of the fraternity. An active has gone
through the pledge process and has been initiated.
Alumnus
A member of a fraternity who is no longer in college.
Bid
A fraternity's official, written invitation to join their
organization.
Big Brother
Member who serves as a mentor for a pledge or younger member.
Bylaws
A set of rules, prepared by each chapter, which outlines policies,
practices, standards, and guidelines for the smooth running of the
chapter.
Chapter
A chartered group of undergraduate members of a fraternity.
Chapter Meeting
A formal meeting, usually weekly, of all a fraternity's brothers
congregating to discuss, debate, and vote on the business and
affairs of the fraternity.
Colony
Status of a group of collegiate members preparing to qualify for
official chartering by a fraternity.
Deactivate
When an active brother terminates his membership with a fraternity.
This relieves one of all duties, rights, privileges, and association
with his fraternity.
Depledge
To quit or drop out of a fraternity during the pledging period.
Dry Rush
Bans the use of, or presence of all alcohol during a recruitment
Formal Rush
Organized by Interfraternity Council. The official process of
recruitment and selecting new members. At Miami, formal rush begins
with Open House in October, and concludes with Rush Week in early
January.
Frat
Unacceptable term for any fraternity in the Greek community.
General Fraternity
Term referring to the Fraternity at large.
Hazing
Being forced to participate in activities that are against one's own
will, and violate you as a human being. Hazing is illegal in most
states, including Ohio. Beta Theta Pi holds a strict ban on all
hazing activities.
Initiation
Fraternity ritual in which pledges are fully educated of a
fraternity's lore, thus becoming active brothers.
Interfraternity Council (IFC)
Organization at every university that legislates and executes
regulations for the fraternity system. The IFC coordinates formal
recruitment and consists of an executive board of members elected
from the individual fraternities. The legislature is composed of
fraternity presidents.
Legacy
Relative of an initiated fraternity brother.
Pledge
Status of one who has accepted a bid, but has not yet been
initiated.
Philanthropy
Community service, charitable work, etc. performed by a fraternity
in order to improve the community.
Pledge Class
A group of men who received bids during the same recruitment season,
and/or are in the same pledge period together.
Ritual
Official ceremony of a fraternity intended to explain the history,
lore, laws, signs, symbols, purposes, and standards of the
fraternity; defined as the heart of a fraternity and a pathway for
life.
Sitting on a bid
A state where a rushee has received a bid from a fraternity, but has
not made a decision whether to accept or decline due to external
circumstances, allowing him to continue to Rush other fraternal
organizations.
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