Building your Unit’s Web Site PTC Class 426 Chief Seattle Council Program and Training Conference October 19, 2013 Dale Rae Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 570 Sammamish Trails District Webmaster

Discussion Topics Learn how to get an online presence for your Scouting unit. How to get started. Recommended solutions to create your unit’s site. Rules to follow when creating a unit site.

What We’ll Cover Today Session Scope & Intent Why Take Scout Units Online? Potential Unit Benefits General Suggestions BSA Rules, Concerns & Guidelines Keys to Success & What is Needed Options

Session Intent & Scope Intent –Review unit website policies, guidelines and regulations –Explain the ways to succeed –Describe some free or low-cost options Scope –Entry-level –Focus on how to get started –Not debate of existing BSA or Council policies

Why Take Scout Units Online? Is it always a good idea? –No, not always Carefully consider the long-term… –Presenting to the world –Follow BSA Rules & Guidelines –Understand options –Seek to provide value to your youth –Defined maintenance roles & responsibilities –Get approval

Potential Unit Benefits - Public Content Promote your Unit locally –Can help recruiting General program information Recruiting event announcements Who to contact –Good public relations

Potential Unit Benefits - Private/Restricted Content Improve or enhance communications –Major “Front Page” announcements –Calendar events Unit specific information –Interesting unit history –Pictures & video –Volunteer roles –Unit rosters –Event checklists –Unit documents –Key unit knowledge (aka “Tribal Knowledge”)

General Suggestions Let the Scout Oath & Scout Law be your guide Before posting content, ask: “Is this in the best interest of the youth?” Questions? Ask your District Executive (DE) Help-out your district and council technology teams

What are the Rules? Work within established Guidelines & Policies: –Follow the rules of your Charted Organization –BSA National Unit Web Site & Social Media Guidelines –Chief Seattle Council “Web Site Policies for Units” –Be familiar with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) –Plan your site & get it approved

BSA National Guidelines National recognizes that units create sites Guidelines are to avoid common mistakes National’s concerns for unit sites: 1. Protection of Personal Information 2. Copyright Infringement 3. Commercialism National has guidelines to help units

BSA Concern – Protecting Personal Information Protecting youth Protecting volunteers Children's Online Privacy Protection Act –COPPA is the BSA standard –Unit-level publishers should review them

BSA Concern - Copyright Infringement Photos, videos and music must be posted with permission Avoid common web content misuse –Use of content without permission –Plagiarism

BSA Concern - Commercialism No advertisements Fundraising must be Council-approved Independent sales, solicitation, or collection of donations is prohibited by BSA bylaws and charter agreements

BSA Social Media Guidelines For Council Websites –Observe BSA Rules & Regulations. –Free to develop own Internet & Web applications. –Follow Scouting guidelines on branding and protection of employees, volunteers and members. For Unit Websites –Unit sites are essentially personal and thus beyond National control and liability –National offers guidelines for Scouting-related Web publishing

BSA Social Media Guidelines Social Media Guidelines –Social media platforms are major media channels –Sites let individuals build and utilize personal social networks among friends, family and colleagues –Used by for-profit and nonprofit organizations to Build and support brands Drive engagement Support products Increase sales and more…

BSA Unit Web Site Guidelines 1.Appropriate content 2.No inappropriate links 3.No ads or endorsements 4.No competing merchandise 5.No copies of BSA publications currently for sale 6.Abide by all laws 7.Protect privacy of youth and adults 8.Only Council-approved fundraising

BSA Unit Web Site Guidelines 1.Appropriate content –Content must be appropriate to the Scouting movement. 2.No inappropriate links –Site cannot link to any sites that contain material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement. 3.No ads or endorsements –Site should not contain any advertisements or commercial endorsements. 4.No competing merchandise –Site cannot engage in electronic sale of BSA Supply Division merchandise or competing products.

BSA Unit Web Site Guidelines 5. No copies of BSA publications currently for sale –Site cannot replicate any BSA publication currently for sale through the Supply Division. 6.Abide by all laws –sites must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property, and by those pertaining to the Internet. 7.Protect privacy of youth and adults –Sites must consider the safety and privacy of their members and participants by obtaining the necessary permissions to release information about or images of any individual.

BSA Unit Web Site Guidelines 8. Only Council-approved fundraising –Sites cannot engage in fund-raising except as directly approved by, and under the supervision of, the local council.

Chief Seattle Council Unit Web Site Approval Request Units request approval through their DE –Apply via letter, memo or –Describe the plan for the unit’s site –Explain who will develop and update it –Define how each of the Web site policies will be met –Provide the web address (URL)

Council Policies Appropriate Content –All material presented in the site will be appropriate to Scouting. Privacy –One of the greatest concerns is the protection of youth and privacy. –Only the first names of youth under the age of 18 may appear in a site. Full names for adults are permissible. –No contact information, i.e. telephone, address, address, mail-to link, etc. for youth under the age of 18. –Written permission must be provided and kept unit’s files for adults whose contact information is published. The Council contact release form may be used for this purpose.

Council Policies Keep Unit Records Current –Written permission must be obtained and kept in the unit’s files for individuals who are specifically shown in images displayed. No Ads or Endorsements –No advertisements or commercial endorsements. –No electronic sales of BSA Supply Division merchandise. –No sales or promotion of Supply Division competing products. No competing publications –No BSA publication currently for sale through the supply division may be replicated.

Council Policies No Inappropriate Links –Minimize Links to pages outside Unit’s site. –Avoid potential to stumble from a Scouting site into inappropriate material. –Only use links appropriate and applicable to the Scouting movement. –No links to sites for the purpose of sales. Keep Site Current and Professional –All Scouting sites must be kept current and should be of a professional quality. –The whole world can see them.

Keys to Success Good Unit Leadership –Unit Leaders agree it’s a Good Idea –Volunteers committed to content & maintenance Plan in detail –Which solution(s) to use –Public Content –Private “Unit Members Only” Content –Define any necessary expenses

Keys to Success (continued) Identify volunteers & roles –Site developers –Tech maintenance (aka “Webmasters”) –Public Content Volunteers Content designed to increase membership –Private Content Volunteers Calendar Unit events & activities Pictures & videos

What is Needed? Volunteers An understanding of the rules Approved plan for site An online solution A way to create & maintain content Security features to restrict access

Options to Consider Free solutions include some: –Social network sites –Web hosting services offering free sites –Scouting-specific Web hosting services Other –Paid hosting services –Paid Scouting-specific Web hosting services –Your own Web server

Some Common No-Cost Solutions This is not an endorsement of these sites – they are shown as examples of what is possible. Each of them have competitors or alternatives to consider. ExampleType of Solution Social Network Site Free “Group Page” Free Web Hosting Service Basic Site Setup & Tools Scouting-Specific Service Free website for Scouting Units

Questions…Examples…Discussion What questions? Suggestions? What examples do you know about? Discussion

QUESTIONS? Building your Unit’s Web Site PTC Class 426 What questions? Suggestions? What examples do you know about? Discussion

Building your Unit’s Web Site PTC Class 426 Thank you! Please fill out evaluation – feedback is a gift! Lots of documents up on Council website Dale Rae Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 570 Sammamish Trails District Webmaster