Social Media

Overview Social Media is here to stay Social Media Guidelines Social Media and Youth Protection Internet Safety Guidelines General Considerations Key Social Media Channels and Associated Considerations Facebook Twitter YouTube Key Take-a-ways

Embracing Social Media BSA acknowledges that social media is here to stay Social media enables current and past Scouts and Scouters to communicate directly with each other about Scouting Social media can create very positive messages about your unit and Scouting in general Creation and maintenance of these channels requires forethought, care, and responsibility Be aware of Chartered Organization policies

Social Media Guidelines These guidelines are in addition to the BSA’s existing Youth Protection policies and training Includes the practice of no one-one-one communication between adults and youth. Any form of communication between them should always involve a second adult. Follow terms of service for all websites Follow Scout Oath and Scout Law Content contrary to the Scout Oath and Law reflect badly on the unit, the poster, and Scouting as a whole. Comments on social media “live forever”

Social Media and Youth Protection Private channels and private communication put both the youth and you at risk Keeping children and their privacy safe, both online and off, should always be at the forefront of social media usage Channels must be public, and all conversations on or through them must be public No private messages and no one-on-one direct contact through email Administrators must monitor for YP violations

Scout Internet Safety Guidelines Keep social media conversations online and public. Don’t be coaxed to one-on-one conversations No last names or other PII including email addresses Elevate uncomfortable/not-right discussions Elevate illegal activity Never promise to keep secrets Never agree to meet someone you met only online at any place off-line, in the real world

General Considerations Add a notice: Site is not an official BSA site Respect copyrights No ads on unit social media sites Of more serious concern are unit sites that engage in fundraising activities not previously approved by the local council Social media must be monitored Post content on a consistent schedule Stale sites cause people to lose interest. They lead the public to believe your unit isn’t exciting or viable.

Facebook Gather to have conversations and share information Can help keeps Scouting in the discussion beyond weekly meetings Pro/Con: Unstructured or unattended can quickly detract from the experience Must be 13 years old Two-deep leader administration Moderate public comments if you allow them

Twitter Character-limited which lends itself to quick, simple updates Can be used like instant messaging or email but in a public forum In this capacity, good for last minute instructions or changes, links to event details, etc. Direct-messaging capabilities should not be used because of Youth Protection policies Designate two administrators Moderate public commenting

YouTube Video-hosting and viewing Manage a channel Must be public – no private channels Designate two administrators Moderate public comments All videos must adhere to Youth Protection policies Must be screened for privacy content (e.g. last names)

Key Take-a-ways Read the BSA Social Media Guidelines yourself https://scoutingwire.org/marketing-and-membership-hub/social-media/social-media-guidelines/ If you are a social media webmaster or content provider, review the Social Media Playbook https://41zfam1pstr03my3b22ztkze-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Social_Media_Playbook_050815.pdf Youth Protection is paramount Your social media reflects on you and the BSA!

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