Social Media

Girl Scouts Louisiana East
Social Media Guidelines

Following are the guidelines for social media at Girl Scouts Louisiana East*. We expect all who participate in social media on behalf of GSLE (or in relation to GSLE) to understand and follow these guidelines. Failure to do so could put your future participation at risk. These guidelines will continually evolve as new technologies and social networking tools emerge.

New!  Click here for Online Photo Usage Guidelines for Websites and Social Media.

 

1. Be honest and fair: Be transparent about your role as a Girl Scouts Louisiana East Volunteer/Employed staff member when communicating about Girl Scout-related issues online. Be authentic, and let people know who you really are and what you do. There may be times when there are differences of opinion and comments made that you may not agree with. That’s ok. Social media gives us the opportunity to engage in conversation with one another, dispute/dispel messages, and take action on valid concerns with the end result being a stronger Girl Scout program.  

 

2. Be friendly and helpful, considerate and caring: Treat others online as you want to be treated. Respect people and no name calling, racial slurs, foul language, or snide comments about other volunteers, parents, or associates. 

 

3. Be courageous and strong: Careful monitoring of social media is important in maintaining a positive image of Girl Scouts Louisiana East. If you see posts/comments/behavior that you are concerned about, please notify your Membership Executive or a member of the council Communications department. Don’t be afraid to speak up or ask questions.

 

4. Be responsible for what you say and do: Remember that what you post online will be around for a long time, and nothing is really “private” anymore. Think of social media as a giant world-wide billboard. What you post can be seen by anyone – your employer, your co-workers, family members. Use discretion and if you have questions about whether or not you should post something, ask your Membership Executive or a member of the council’s Communications department.

 

5. Respect yourself and others: Respect other people’s privacy and your own personal boundaries by using discretion when choosing to accept or invite a fellow volunteer, parent or associate as your Facebook “friend.” Don’t feel obligated to open your personal life up to those with whom you have a professional relationship.

 

6. Respect authority: The Council Board President, CEO and/or Vice President of Communications and their agents reserve the full rights to block/delete any postings, administrators, group members, etc. or restrict volunteer access to social media sites within council control. Also, if contacted by a member of the media through social media and asked to comment on an issue, please refer them to the council’s Vice President of Communications or Public Relations Specialist.  Also Respect copyright and fair use. Don’t use other people’s material without giving them credit and/or getting their permission first.

 

7. Use resources wisely: Your time and that of those who may be reading your entries is a valuable resource. Have a purpose for why you’re saying something and provide value by sharing information that is helpful, witty, or of encouragement to someone else.

 

8. Make the world a better place and be a sister to every Girl Scout: This holds true regardless of how you’re communicating (telephone, email, in person, etc.). And if information is confidential, keep it that way. You don’t like people sharing your personal business without your permission. So if somebody has told you that information is confidential, keep it that way.

 

9. Be mindful of how you look and act by living the Girl Scout Promise and Law: Your online presence can reflect positively or negatively on Girl Scouts Louisiana East. Be wary of your actions captured via images, posts or comments. It is always recommended to set your profile to “private” (only your “friends” can see it) especially if you have Girl Scouts Louisiana East listed as an organization for which you represent or volunteer for. Please remember that your profile picture is open to the public, so use discretion when choosing how the world sees you.

 

10. Deliver effective and deliberate communication to internal and external customers. Respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner. Be a valuable resource for information but don’t just “push” events and programs in a one-way social media relationship. If people comment, respond nicely to their comments. It’s called “social” media for a reason.

 

 

Online Safety:

The Girl Scouts Louisiana East has provided an online resource to provide information and assistance in helping encourage and foster safe behavior on the Web and other social media: www.gsle.org/onlinesafe.asp

  

* Blogs or websites which do not identify the blogger as a Girl Scout volunteer, do not discuss the Girl Scouts and are purely about personal matters may fall outside this guidance.

 

** Your current council Membership Executive and Communications department contact information can be found on the council website at www.gsle.org/aboutus/staffdirectory.asp