Do

have a Web site. It’s a great way to advertise and keep in touch with unit membership.

Don’t

advertise anything in the BSA name.

Don’t

try to create “secure” areas on your Web site. This would be password-protected areas with personal or private information. Even if you believe you have secured the data for your Web site users, the information is still available to ISP personnel, anyone that has the password, knows someone with the password, or those people that might “hack” the site.

Don’t

use the Web as the primary or only means of communication in your unit. Sites should be supplemental to email, traditional mail, unit newsletters, and calling trees.

Do

allow the youth to build the Web site. This allows them to learn Web technology and to take the load off the adult Webmaster, who has the final control over content of the site.

Don’t

allow any youth to change the Web page. Only the adult Webmaster should have the password to make changes to the Web site. ***

Do

have only one person, or only a very few, making changes to the Web site. This helps eliminate the “oops, I overwrote your changes” problem. Make sure, however, that there is more than one person with the password to the site.

Do

check with the Council Web Committee before changing Web sites, to insure the site always meets National Rules, and is up to date in everything, forms, policies, etc.

Don’t

use “free” Web hosting providers, like “geocities“ and “tripod “ services, especially those services that put up banner ads of any type, or ads that may be against BSA policy and could be offensive. Also don’t use personal Web space from unit or others members; it’s better to have the Web site in a place that will not go away when someone leaves.

Do

post only the first name or the first name and last initial or salutation and last initial of any youth or adult member on a unit site/page: “Jack O” or “Mrs. B”. Refer to adult and youth by first names only and title: “Scoutmaster Howard” or “Patrol Leader Jimmy”. **

Don’t

post the full names, email addresses, postal addresses or phone numbers of ANY youth. Only post the names of adults with their permission.

Don’t

post your unit or district newsletters or calendars without “cleaning” them of full names.

Do

put pictures, graphics, silly songs, troop histories, permission slips, and other fun stuff. Keep pictures to 100 dpi or less resolution. Make sure all files to download are small.

Don’t

identify any youth members, either in group shots or individual shots, by full names.

Do

use links on council site to gain information and supply you with needed forms from National.

Don’t

put up ANY copies of official BSA forms on your Web site; link to these forms through the council Web site. This is the only approved way to get these forms.

Don’t

put up ANY images that may have been copyrighted, BSA or others; this may include images, such as OA lodge flaps, etc. This isn’t any harder than emailing the Council Web Committee, or the owner of the items/logos in question.

Do

put up council approved advertising, such as Popcorn and other BSA sanctioned events. If there are any questions as to what are and are not BSA events, ask. Always use the Unit Money-Earning Application form for all money-earning projects. Go to the council site, www.threefirescouncil.org, for the form and look under the “Forms and Documents” link.

Don’t

advertise any other sales on any Web site that identifies itself with the BSA. In general, make a separate site with a different URL for a site that sells wreaths, candy, or other non-BSA items. Remember that you and your chartering organization could be liable for any problems with an e-commerce server. Do not sell from or link to vendors that compete with the BSA’s National Supply Division.

Don’t

put up BSA National Supply or any links related to same. Use the council Web site links to connect for this information.

Do

link to non-BSA Web sites, but make sure to only link to sites that are Scouting appropriate. Each external link should open in a separate window. Also, occasionally test that links are valid and pointing to the correct sites.

Do

register a unique, memorable domain name for your site. Scouting is an organization and therefore rates a “.org” domain name. To prevent unscrupulous or malicious people from putting up inappropriate content in your site’s name, you should register the “.com” domain name as well.

Do

post general contact information (email addresses) for Scoutmaster, Committee Chair, etc., for units; and District Key Three, etc., for districts. It can be handy to have mailboxes set up to get incoming mail, i.e., “scoutmaster@mytroop.org,” etc. Also, make sure that someone reads any such mailbox on a daily basis.

**

The use of full adult names, phone numbers, and email addresses is allowable as long as the adult has the option to not have this information displayed.

The use of full youth names, when such information is already published in other media, is acceptable with the permission of the youth’s parent/guardian. This allows troops to post the names of Eagle Scout recipients who are under 18 and youth contact information for OA chapters and Vigil recipients.

It is still recommended that NO full names, phone numbers or email addresses of youth under the age of 16 be posted on ANY Web site. (Effective 10/1/02)

***

The use of “youth” BSA members (under 21 years of age) as Webmasters shall apply to all sites within TFC jurisdiction with the exception of the Order of the Arrow Lodge and that youth OA officer must be under the adviser ship of an adult OA member and both must become active members of the TFC Web Committee. (The youth’s name, however, must not appear on the Web site.) (Effective 3/15/03)