Troop 673 Communications Guidelines

Adopted by the troop committee 19 April, 2004.

1. For convenience of troop leaders and troop families, we disseminate troop news via email.

2. The troop maintains an email distribution list for troop news. Separate distribution lists for scouts and adults cannot be kept because many addresses are shared among several family members, so messages must be suitable for all audiences.

3. Emails are sent such that the distribution list is concealed to discourage use of the list by recipients for other than troop business. This is a privacy concern for some, to discourage the propogation of spam and viruses. In any case, we prohibit the use of our distribution list for purposes other than troop business.

4. The troop also archives much information on a website. The intent is to preserve information for troop families who cannot locate a handout or email; and to assist troop leaders to easily answer questions by referring people to the web for answers.

5. Any adult or scout who wants to send a message may compose and send it to me for distribution or posting on the website. Folks should generally write their own messages without depending on me to do so, since they know better than I what they want to say. I sometimes edit lightly if I see something that might be unclear.

6. Because of the wide variety and versions of web browsers and other software, messages should preferably not have embedded special formatting or file attachments. Some mailboxes will not accept attachments.

7. For privacy reasons, no personal information will be posted on the web without password protection. Scouts' last names will not appear on the website, and adults will generally not have their first names on the web.

8. Only email and web content that is troop business will be disseminated. Material teaching BSA scouting values may be appropriately considered troop business, as long as the content is expected to be accepted by everyone. Content promoting views not universally accepted within BSA circles, even if widely accepted, should not be disseminated.

9. We will maintain an open forum for all. I will read all messages before distributing, but will generally respect the author's content, viewpoint and approach as inherently valid. As a courtesy to the author I occasionally may add a clarifying or supporting comment or correction, or ask for clarification if I am uncertain of something. The troop generally need not be too critical of distributed messages for as long as we remain a troop of unpaid volunteer, and of scouts who are acting to their capabilities.

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