Phi Beta Sigma - Membership

Membership

Phi Beta Sigma's Constitution states that race, religion, and national origin are not criteria for membership, and as a result it has a diverse membership, predominantly African-American in composition, with members in over 650 collegiate and alumni chapters in the United States, District of Columbia, Germany, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Virgin Islands, South Korea, Japan and countries in Africa. Since its founding in 1914, more than 150,000 men have joined the membership of Phi Beta Sigma.

The term, frat, derived from the Latin word frāter for "brother," is used between members of the Fraternity. Membership of the directorate includes the General Board. A chapter name ending in "Sigma" denotes a graduate chapter. No chapter of Phi Beta Sigma is designated Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet that traditionally signifies "the end." Deceased brothers are respectfully referred to as having joined The Omega Chapter.

The Crescent Club was the official pledge club of Phi Beta Sigma. Potential candidates interested in becoming a member of the Organization would join the pledge club before being initiated as a brother of the Fraternity. The pledge period marked the time in which a "crescent" -the name given to a member of the crescent club – engages in learning the Fraternity's purpose, structure, history, principles, hymns, and the meanings of fraternal brotherhood.

In 1990, as a result to the amounting Hazing lawsuits being filed against Greek-Lettered Organizations, Phi Beta Sigma and the member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council jointly agreed to disband pledging as a form of admission In an attempt to eliminate Hazing from these organizations, each revised its orientation procedures and developed the Membership Intake Process.