![[TIDEWATER COUNCIL]](images/tidewater.gif)
Tidewater Council policy on unit Web sites
Please note that the Tidewater Council has no current page with links to units. This is being done for a number of reasons, but first and foremost, we are trying to follow the recommendations that we do not allow such a page on our web site. In addition ot the bottom listed items we will strongly recommend:
A. The person operating your Web Site, be a registered volunteer leader with the Boy Scouts of America. If not, then an employee of the chartering organization.
B. The unit own its domain name...for example: www.tidewaterbsa.com is owned by the Tidewater Council using a service to protect it from being hacked.
C. A unit web site should contain no links to any site that sells any products or advertises any products. The sole exceptions would be the Tidewater Council and of course the chartering organization.
D. Doing a web site takes a lot of time and our hope is that if a unit chooses to be put a web site up, that the contact information be correct and current. The web site should be checked weekly for correctness and individuals contacting people at the unit should be able to respond in a timely fashion. The major problem with the vast majority of all unit web sites is old, stale, and non current contact information.
Please note, that the Tidewater Council does not have the current resources to weekly review each unit web site. When a better system can be implemented and we have been granted permission to have unit links again by the National council, we shall proceed, but not until then. We thank you for your understanding of this sensitive Youth Protection and Service to all parties in or seeking to do business with Scouting.
These guidelines were approved by the Tidewater Council Executive Board on March 15, 2000, upon recommendation of the Council Marketing Committee. They are adapted from policy established by the BSA Electronics Publishing Division for council Web sites.
Only unit web sites that adhere to these guidelines may be linked to the official Tidewater Council web site.
- The appropriate unit leadership must have control over the content of the unit's official web site (i.e. the unit committee, uniformed leadership and chartered partner representative). If youth members are involved, they must be under the direct supervision of adults who have control of all content.
- The content of the unit site must be appropriate to the Scouting movement and consistent with the Scout Law.
- A unit site shall not contain any links directly to any site that contains material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.
- A unit web site should not contain full names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses or other identifying information about youth members.
- No unit site should contain bulletin boards or chat rooms that make it possible for youth members to communicate with others through the site.
- A unit site should consider the safety and privacy of members by obtaining permissions to release information about or identifying images of any specific person.
- Preferably, a unit site should not contain any advertisements or commercial endorsements, except for the organization providing the site service if it’s provided for free or at discount. If a site does contain advertising, care should be taken to make certain that none of the advertising is inconsistent with the purposes of Scouting.
- A standard money-earning application must be filed with the council before any merchandise is offered for sale on a unit web site. No merchandise can be sold through a unit web site using electronic fund transfers.
- A unit site must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property.
- A unit site must include the name of the unit's chartered partner, contact information for the unit committee and an e-mail contact address for reaching the person managing the site, so visitors can report any problems or concerns.
- A unit web site should never be made to appear more official than it is. The page should not represent itself as an official publication of the council or national organization of Boy Scouts of America, not even to casual readers.
- Should a unit web site move or be abandoned after a link to the council site is established, the council should be notified by e-mail or other means, so that the link can be changed or removed.
