Official OA Web Site Guidelines
As the proliferation of chapter, lodge, section, and region
Order of the Arrow Internet web sites continues, the National OA
Committee felt it was appropriate to set forth some policy guidelines
for OA web sites. There are many people who are unsure of what is
or is not appropriate, and what guidance is available to them.
These guidelines were adapted from the guidelines that the BSA
electronic publishing division has established for council web sites,
as laid out in a October 23, 1998 memo from the Electronic Publishing
Division Director.
The following guidelines were approved at the May 1999 National OA
Committee meeting, and take effect immediately.
They are being publicized starting at the 1999 National
Leadership Summit.
An official Order of the Arrow web site should follow these guidelines:
- The appropriate OA leadership must have direct control over the content
of its official web site (i.e. the Key 3 at each level of the
organization).
- The content of the OA site must be appropriate to the Scouting
movement and the Order of the Arrow. Safeguarded information
such as ceremony details must be properly protected.
- The OA site shall not contain any advertisements or commercial
endorsements, except those for the organization providing the site
service if it is provided for free or at a discount.
- The OA site shall not engage in the electronic sale of BSA Supply
Division merchandise, merchandise commissioned by the National
Order of the Arrow Committee, or competing products.
- The OA site shall not contain any links directly to any sites that
contain material that is not appropriate to the Scouting movement.
- The OA site shall not replicate any BSA publication currently for sale
through the Supply Division.
- The OA site must abide by all laws regarding copyrights, trademarks,
and other intellectual property.
- The OA site must consider the safety and privacy of their participants
by obtaining necessary permissions to release information about or
identifying images of any specific individual.
- The OA site should include an email contact address for reaching the
person managing the site, so visitors can report any problems or concerns.
Revised 8/1/99.
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