Here are some of the common terms associated with sorority life:
Active: an initiated, college member of a sorority
Badge: a symbol of sorority or fraternity membership. Each chapter has their own unique badge.
Panhellenic Council: The Panhellenic Council is a council for all of the National Panhellenic Conference sorority chapters on campus. This council serves as the governing body for all NPC chapters on campus and organizes the recruitment process.
Initiation: A ceremony that brings a new member into full membership in a fraternity or sorority. Once you are initiated into a Panhellenic chapter, you are ineligible to join another Panhellenic chapter.
New Member: Someone who has accepted a bid from a sorority, but is not yet an active initiated member. Prior to initiation each chapter has some sort of new member process where the new members learn more about the sorority.
Potential New Member: a woman who is eligible to participate in Panhellenic recruitment.