Bid Day: The last day of recruitment, when potential new members receive bids to join chapters and become new members. Each chapter will usually host a Bid Day activity to help the new members get to know each other and the rest of the chapter, like bowling or roller skating. The NPC Unanimous Agreements state there is to be no alcohol use or men associated with recruitment or Bid Day. Intentional single preference: When a woman lists only one chapter on her membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement (MRABA) following the preference round of primary recruitment. Legacy: A daughter, sister or granddaughter of an initiated member of a sorority. Typically, different NPC member organizations have different definitions of legacies. Being a legacy does not guarantee a bid to a particular sorority. Each NPC member organization has its own policy for invitations to legacies during recruitment. Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (MRABA): This is a one-year binding agreement signed by a potential new member (PNM) when ranking chapters after preference round of recruitment. A PNM agrees to accept a bid from any chapter she lists on her MRABA, with a maximum of two listed. If a PNM receives a bid to a sorority she lists and declines it, she is bound to it for one year or until the next primary recruitment period, meaning she cannot accept a bid to any other organization during this period. If a PNM signs an MRABA and does not receive a bid, she is eligible for continuous open bidding or snap bidding. New member: A woman who has accepted a bid from a sorority but is not yet an initiated, active member of that chapter. Chapters will have a new member process during which the new members learn more about the sorority and prepare them for initiation. Potential New Member (PNM): A woman who is eligible to participate in recruitment. Chapters might use the term PNM to refer to any woman eligible for recruitment. Preference round: Referring to the last round of primary recruitment. Quota: The number of potential new members that each chapter can offer bids to during primary recruitment. This is determined with a formula involving the number of chapters and the number of women participating in bid matching. Recommendation letter: A form completed by an alumna member of a sorority recommending a potential new member for membership. Recommendations may be more important at some campuses than others. Recruitment counselor: A sorority member who may or may not be disassociated from her sorority to serve as a recruitment guide. They are a resource for questions or concerns during primary recruitment. Each potential new member will be assigned a recruitment counselor during primary recruitment. Silence period: A period of time after the end of membership recruitment events and prior to the distribution of bids when there is no communication between potential new members and sorority members. Snap bidding: An option available to chapters that did not match to quota. Chapters may offer bids to potential new members whose preferences were not matched after preference round. Snap bids should be coordinated and extended through the College Panhellenic, prior to the distribution of bids and the start of Bid Day activities. Total: The allowable chapter size on a campus, as determined by the College Panhellenic, including new and active members. Chapters that fall under total may be allowed to participate in continuous open bidding until they reach total. Values-based recruitment: A recruitment style that focuses on meaningful conversations between collegiate members and potential new members with the goal of recruiting women who will have a positive impact on chapters and the College Panhellenic community. Nonessential features such as skits, elaborate decorations and costumes are removed from the process, and the focus is on the values, benefits and obligations of membership for each organization.
PANHELLENIC TERMS
Coat of Arms: The insignia that is the shield and protective influence of sorority membership. It holds many symbols including victory, leadership, scholarship, bravery and more. College Panhellenic Association: The College Panhellenic Association is a chartered affiliate of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and a democratic entity composed of all members of the NPC sororities on a campus. The College Panhellenic promotes the growth of individual chapters and the sorority community. It also organizes and sponsors a women’s-only membership recruitment program. Continuous Open Bidding (COB): An opportunity for chapters that do not reach quota during primary recruitment to bid to total and/or quota. The continuous open bidding process is less formal, and not all chapters will participate in continuous open bidding. Crest: This can be found on the Coat of Arms. Only the lamp on top of the shield is the crest and denotes leadership, scholarship and enlightenment. Disassociated: Occurs when a recruitment counselor temporarily separates herself from her sorority during the recruitment process to act as an unbiased resource for members participating in recruitment. After the recruitment process, she rejoins her sorority. National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): The umbrella body for 26 inter/national women’s fraternities and sororities. Panhellenic Compact: A section of the NPC Unanimous Agreements that outlines requirements for sorority membership. Panhellenic creed: The guide all sorority women follow stating the values members strive to uphold. Unanimous Agreements: Agreements between the 26 NPC member organizations that provide for fairness and equality between the groups. Several of these agreements have to do with recruitment procedures.
CHAPTER OPERATIONS TERMS
Alumna: One female graduate. Alumnae: Two or more female graduates. Badge: An insignia of fraternity or sorority membership worn only by initiated members. Each sorority has its own unique badge that can be decorated in different jewels and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Big sister: A collegiate member who is paired with a new member to act as a mentor. Collegiate chapter: All 26 NPC sororities are inter/national organizations that have collegiate chapters across the U.S and Canada. Chapter meeting: Typically weekly meetings where members gather conduct all official chapter business. Collegiate member: A collegiate, initiated member of a sorority chapter. Initiation: A traditional ceremony that brings a new member into full membership of a sorority or fraternity. Once you are initiated into an NPC sorority, you are ineligible for membership in any other NPC sorority. Membership education: This refers to educational sessions where a new member might learn about the founding of the sorority, open mottoes, founders, colors of the organization and more. Ritual: The private traditions and practices of a sorority deeply rooted in the shared values and purpose of the members. Ritual serves as a reminder to each member of her responsibilities and inspires her to fulfill them. Rituals connect the past with the present and the future. Symbols: Each member organization has different symbols like a mascot or a flower that the sorority values. Many of the reasons why these things are values are learned through ritual services.