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 Girl
Scouts of the USA
Guidelines for Creating Your Own Troop or
Group Web Page
These
guidelines are written for adult volunteers, older girls,
and others considering developing a Web page or “home page”
for a troop or group in Girl Scouts. Although there is some
“how to do it” information, the guidelines are not meant to
lead you through the construction process. We leave that to
the experts. We suggest that you find someone who knows the
technical and legal aspects of Web construction, and someone
who is capable of making it a learning experience for girls.
You should also check with your Girl Scout council for
additional guidelines and/or hosting opportunities.
Information posted to the Internet on a Web page can be read
by people all over the world. Therefore, safety and how you
represent yourselves as Girl Scouts should be the guiding
principal of any Web-based endeavor, even if your
information is password protected. This includes issues of
privacy, language use, sponsorship, links, and use of any
kind of copyrighted material (writing, music, brand images,
and pictures). |
Is a Web Page Right for Your Troop or
Group?
Online Safety Checklist
Comparison Between Public and
Password-Protected Web Page Features
Getting Started
Developing Your Web Page
Publishing Your Web Page
Corresponding with the Public
FAQ's About Girl Scout Symbols and
Clip-Art
Glossary
Girl Scout Program Links and Resources
for Creating Web Pages
Download the this information in PDF
format.
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Is
a Web Page Right for Your Troop or Group?
Developing a Web site for a group can be a great learning
activity for girls. Unless you have expertise within your
group, such as parents, or are using a Web development
template supplied by your service provider, consider
recruiting technical expertise. Your council might have a
list of volunteers, or you might approach a community
college computer lab, a professional in Web development, or
someone who develops Web sites for a hobby. Girls can be
involved in the process at all levels—decision-making,
research, writing, graphics, and the Web page creation.
Consider
the following when deciding whether or not to develop a
troop or group Web page:
§
Poll
your members regarding Internet access. Family Internet
access will determine whether a Web page will be limited to
advertising your group, or used as a communication vehicle.
If most families don’t have Web access, you will have to
communicate information in a different manner.
§
As a
group, determine why you want a Web page. Is it because
your service unit or council is giving you an opportunity to
post information about your group? Is it to post important
dates and notices? Is it a scrapbook record for girls and
their families to share? Is it a place to keep track of
girls’ work?
§
How much
will it cost? Are you part of someone else’s site, or are
you purchasing your rights to your own Web address? Will
there be additional costs for a password protected site?
Does that site provide a way to keep individual files and
downloads? Does it have a calendar function? Does it have
e-mail and bulletin board features?
§
Consider
the time needed for site upkeep. Who will be responsible
for posting changes? How often do you want to change the
site—weekly, bi- weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly?
§
Discuss
whether your site will remain an information-only site, or
whether you want additional functions, such as an
interactive component, which will require password
protection. Below is a chart comparing the features of
public pages to password-protected pages on the Internet.
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Comparison Between Public and Password-Protected Web Page
Features
|
Possible
features
for your Web pages
obtained through |
Public Internet pages… OR.. |
Password-protected pages and community
collaboration space |
|
Space for description of group |
YES |
YES—this can be your entry page for group
members to sign in |
|
Downloads for permission slips |
NO—unless they are generic, not listing specific
information |
YES. |
|
Group e-mail address for public and other Girl
Scouts |
YES |
YES—if you place on the sign-in page |
|
Individual pictures and pages for each girl |
Not recommended for security
purposes |
YES—each girl can have her own page and/or file |
|
Links to council and GSUSA Web sites |
YES |
YES |
|
Links to other Web sites |
YES—with qualifications. |
YES—with qualifications. |
|
Listing on search engines |
YES. Meta-tags can be placed on the page. |
YES, meta-tags can be placed on sign-in page. |
|
List-serve of individual e-mails or phone list
|
NO. This is against all safety guidelines. |
YES— with permission. |
|
Meeting notes |
Possibly—with edits. No descriptions of where
girls will be meeting or going. |
YES—protected with password. |
|
Picture of group for public; pictures of group
activities |
Yes—if have parental permission. Use of first
names only. |
Yes—if have parental permission. Recommended
first names only. |
|
Records of girls’ work |
NO—not recommended. |
YES- if folders are an option. |
|
Troop calendar |
NO—unless very general as to dates, not
including place and time. |
YES- if calendar function is an option. |
|
Use of GSUSA trademarks (e.g. badges)
|
NO |
NO |
|
Use of GSUSA Logo (e.g. GS “three faces” logo) |
With permission only. |
With permission only. |
|
Use of copyrighted music |
NO— unless you have permission to use from music
company and/or owner. |
NO— unless you have permission to use from music
company and/or owner. |
|
Use of artwork from books or Web |
NO— unless you have permission to use from
owner. |
NO— unless you have permission to use from
owner. |
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Online
Safety Checklist
___Have you used first names only of all
girls?
___Do you have parent/guardian permission to use
girl pictures?
___Do you have permission to use pictures of
adults?
___Have you used a
group e-mail overseen by an adult as your contact address?
___Have you followed
guidelines in the Online Safety Pledge
and Safety-Wise?
http://www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp
___Do you screen all postings to guest books
before posting on your site?
___Have you discussed the importance of
keeping a “secret” password secret, and set
up a plan for changing the password periodically?
___Do you have a statement on your site
ensuring visitor privacy?
___Have you checked all your links to make sure
they comply with GSUSA guidelines?
___Do you have a plan in place for updating
your Web page?
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Getting Started
If your
troop or group decides to post a Web page, begin with the
following:
Spend
time looking at other Web sites. Note what you like about
them. Search for other “Girl Scout troop” or group sites,
as well as “Girl Scout Council” sites. Note any safety or
copyright issues you encounter when looking at other Girl
Scout sites after you have reviewed the sections on safety
and copyrights. (See
http://www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder/ for a listing
of council sites.)
Research
hosts for your site on the Internet. This is where your
council and your technical person can be of great help.
 Consider
learning simple html or other Web language, or utilizing a
more sophisticated program, such as DreamWeaver or
FrontPage, which writes the code. Girls can also learn how
to prepare photos and graphics for the Web, as well as video
and music posting. Be prepared to scale back your graphics
or to break your content into separate pages (files) so that
your audience will not have to wait a long time to see your
Web page. Learn how to create versions of graphics that
require less time to download.
Create
an outline of the information of your site. It can be very
simple on one page, or it can take the form of more than one
page, with links between. The kind of hosting you decide
upon will either limit or broaden your options.
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Developing Your Web Page
Write
the text for your page(s). Check for spelling and grammar
carefully. Ask other people to help you proofread as well.
Create
or find graphics on the World Wide Web for your page. Be
sure not to use graphics that are copyrighted by someone
else without their permission. Read and follow the rules
below about use of Girl Scout symbols. (See links to Girl
Scout graphics below.)
Consider
any links you want to create between your site and other
sites carefully. Each linked site should contain only
material that is safe and suitable for children and
appropriate for Girl Scouts using the Web. Avoid sites that
contain inappropriate advertising or lack of educational
value. Ads change frequently, sometimes every few seconds,
so it may be impossible to keep track of these links from
your site!
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Publishing Your Web Page
There
are many ways to post the pages you create on the Internet.
You may have to pay a monthly fee, especially if you go
over allotted space for free services, or if you want
extras, like chat, file sharing, etc. Most Internet service
providers or search engine sites, such as AOL, Yahoo, or
Google have publishing options. They also provide a list of
suggested hosting options, as well as many helpful hints
about Web site development and establishing “user
communities”. Look for security features, privacy features,
amount of space available, and cost from a provider. Check
with your Girl Scout council as well.
If you
are offered space on a Web site that is a private business
or owned by an individual, be very cautious. You become
associated with that person’s domain name (Internet
address). You should NOT be associated with a commercial
business unless it is clear that they are sponsoring space
only, and you should check out the site content and its
links, as well as the business to see whether you are in
appropriate company for a Girl Scout group. For example, it
might not be appropriate to be sponsored by a winery or a
gun shop, but it would be OK to be on the site of your local
library or your public newspaper with other non-profit youth
groups. A site that has links to sex shops would not be
appropriate. If your group’s sponsor offers you space, you
should check with your Girl Scout council before accepting;
and they can help you word a statement that needs to be
placed on your page or the page of your sponsor to indicate
that the sponsorship of the page does not indicate Girl
Scout endorsement of the host site.
Create
an e-mail account specifically for your Web site. It should
be monitored by an adult. Never use a personal e-mail
account for your troop/group Web site.
Never
post full names of girls, girl e-mail addresses, family
e-mail addresses, or troop or group meeting places on a
public Web page.
Have
only one or two adults as the administrators, or a
girl/adult in partnership. Rotate the responsibilities if
girls are interested in learning how to administer a site.
Determine a schedule for updating your site before it is
posted. Some sites will only need to be updated quarterly,
or when something is meant to be shared, such as pictures
from a camping trip or service activity. Ideally, sites
that are password protected should be updated after each
meeting or event in preparation for the next meeting or
event. Be sure to remove old sites from free hosting
services.
If you
choose a service that has password-protected space, you must
set up ways to protect the password for the users. Limit it
to girls and parents or guardians and use a tier of
different user rights.
Determine a schedule for changing the passwords and discuss
the importance of keeping the password within the member
group.
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Corresponding with
the Public
Never
post live messages from other people on your Web site, in a
guest book, or on a bulletin board. Every message should be
read by someone (usually an adult), edited where necessary,
and then posted. Do not post full names and addresses or
e-mails of individuals posting to guest books or bulletin
boards. You may post first name, troop/group and city or
state. You do not have to post every message sent to you.
Rules or “netiquette” should be discussed and posted on the
site. (e.g., no full names; no putdowns, bad language, etc.)
Do not
offer to act as a broker for girls or groups wanting
pen-pals. Pen-pal requests must go through a council pen
pal coordinator.
If you
ask people to leave e-mail addresses, you must have a
privacy statement. You want to write back to someone. If
you do write back, it must be through the group e-mail, not
a personal e-mail, with adult oversight. You must promise
not to share e-mail addresses with others.
Never
correspond on any topic not related to your Web site or Girl
Scouts on your Girl Scout e-mail. For example, you should
never respond to ads, a “cool boy” wanting a date, requests
for money, or questions about where your group meets. (If
someone wants to join your group, have an adult request a
local phone number via the group e-mail address.)
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FAQ's
About Girl Scout Symbols and Clip-Art
Q: What are Girl Scout symbols?
A: GSUSA symbols are trademarked graphics, such as the
Girl Scout logo, Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its, Girl Scout
badges, and Girl Scout interest project patches, official
pins and awards.
Q: Are there
guidelines for use of these symbols?
A: Yes.
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. symbols cannot be used without
authorization from Girl Scouts of the USA. Permission may
be granted to Girl Scout groups wishing to use the Girl
Scout logo on their Web page only after a written request
has been submitted. There are rules for use of the GSUSA
logo. For example, the logo must appear on a solid colored
background, it may not be put into another graphic or used
as background “wallpaper” or watermark, or be made into
buttons.
For more
about obtaining permission go to “Terms and Conditions,” on
the Girl Scouts of the USA Web site (http://www.girlscouts.org/terms_conditions.asp).
Q: If I
have used Girl Scout trademarked symbols and haven't
followed the guidelines, what should I do?
A: Change your design.
Q: Why
get excited about the misuse of Girl Scout symbols?
A: GSUSA
must protect the integrity of its trademarked symbols and
their use. If the symbols are misused, they no longer send a
clear message about who we are. If Girl Scout symbols are
used with a product, people may assume that GSUSA endorses
that product. If they are used without permission, they may
be used inappropriately.
Q: What
about using art work from Girl Scout books?
A:
Artwork is also protected by copyright laws. More important,
it may be owned by the artist. Even Girl Scouts of the USA
doesn't always have permission to reproduce it, once it has
been used for a specific purpose.
Q:
Where can we get graphics for use on our site?
A: Many sites on the Web, maintained by companies and
individuals, offer free graphics for use by individuals and
non-profit organizations. It is important to read the legal
statements and special instructions for downloading from
each site you visit. Make sure that the artwork is owned by
the site giving permission for use.
Clip art
for Girl Scout use can be found on the Girl Scout Web site
www.girlscouts.org in the Graphics Gallery in Girl Scout
Central (http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/graphics/).
Read the terms of use before downloading to your own
computer.
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Glossary
Browser—software
and a “user friendly” interface that allows access to pages
and sites on the World Wide Web, as well as a search
function for finding pages related to specific topics. A
browser has features that allow the user to do things once
there, such as downloading files or saving pictures.
Popular browsers include FireFox, MSN Explorer, and Yahoo.
Yahooligans is just for kids.
Bulletin board—an
electronic message center, where visitors can leave
messages, which are either live or screened, then posted.
Usually focused on specific topics.
Home page—
a name for the first page of any collection of Web pages or
a Web site, often referred to as the “front door” of a Web
site.
html—
abbreviation for hyper text mark-up language, which is the
basic code-based language used with text to create Web
pages.
Internet—a
decentralized global system developed to link computer
networks around the world using the TCP/IP Protocol
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
that
was developed and has evolved from the ARPANET (the original
Internet) of the late 1960’s. When referring to the global
net, Internet is always capitalized. An “internet” or
“intranet” refers to computers that are connected together
for internal use. An intranet can be on the Internet or be
found at a site where computers are hooked together.
List Serve—a
collection or list of e-mail addresses that are kept
together. When you send out an announcement, you place the
name of the list serve in the address window and the e-mail
goes to everyone on the list serve.
Pass word protection—ensures
that unauthorized users do not access the computer or Web
pages. A password is a secret combination of characters
(letters and numbers) that allow the user to access a page
or files online.
Search engine—this
is a program, often included in or linked to by a browser or
found at its own address, such as google.com , which allows
you to search either a data base of Web pages or the World
Wide Web.
Web server—a
dedicated computer or system of computers that allows
content to be served to a Web browser and sent to a user’s
Web browser. The browser and server communicate using HTTP
language. There are different types of servers that provide
different functions using different computer languages, such
as Audio/Video servers that allow for streaming video; Chat
Servers, which allow groups of people to talk with each
other; Groupware Servers, which allow for people to work
together online; and FTP or File Transfer Protocol Servers,
which allow files to move through cyberspace.
URL—
stands for Uniform Resource Locator, or the address used to
locate a Web page. Girl Scouts of the USA’s URL is
http://www.girlscouts.org.
The first section (http) says it is written in hypertext
markup language, then that it is on the World Wide Web
(www), under the name of “girlscouts” and that we live in
the domain name of organization (org). You have to register
to have your own unique URL; however, you can be hosted by a
Web site, sharing their URL, with an extension that gives
you a specific address.
Web host—provides
server space, Web services, and file maintenance for Web
sites created by individuals or other companies who do not
have their own server. Subscribers to Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) often are given limited Web space for their
own Web site, or there is a fee charged, depending on the
complexity.
Web page(s)—
printable pages on the World Wide Web. Often used in place
of “home page” when describing a personal site. Each page
has its own URL or Universal Resource Locator.
Web site—a
name for a collection of Web pages hosted on a Web site.
Most individuals refer to their page or pages as “Home page”
or “Web page” rather a Web site, which is usually much more
extensive, expensive, and professional. GSUSA calls its
collection of Web pages a Web site because of its size and
complexity. It’s “Home page” is at
www.girlscouts.org .
World Wide Web (WWW or Web)—a
global system of linking documents, pictures, sounds and
other kinds of files across the Internet. The WWW is
graphics intensive, as compared to the initial Internet,
which started out hosting documents and files.
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Girl
Scout Program Links and Resources for Creating Web Pages
►
Activity Check Points for Computers,
Page 128 of Safety-Wise.
►
Girl
Scout Safety-Pledge
(online at
www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp and on page 130 of
Safety-Wise)
►
Photo,
Audio, Electronic Media Release
for Girls and Adults on Girl Scout Central online at
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/forms/ NOTE: Since this is a
GSUSA form, use these forms as a guide for creating your troop/group/council
form.
►
Online Girl Scout Safety Awards from Safety-Wise
§
Brownie Girl Scouts www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/safety/brownie_safety_award.asp
§
Junior Girl Scouts [
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/safety/junior_safety_award.asp
§
Girl Scouts 11-17
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/safety/11_17_safety_award.asp
►
Online Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its
§
Computer Smarts (Can also be found in the book, Try-Its for Brownie
Girl Scouts)
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/brownie/computer_smarts.asp
§
Point, Click, and Go *
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/brownie/point_click_go.asp
►
Online Junior Girl Scout Badges
§
Computer Fun (Can also be found in the book Junior Girl Scout Badge
Book)
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/junior/computer_fun.asp
§
CyberGirl Scout*
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/junior/cybergirl_scout.asp
►
Online Girl Scout Interest Project Awards for Girl Scouts 11-17
(Can also be found in the book Interest Projects for Girl Scouts 11-17)
§
Computers in Everyday Life
www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/11_17/computers_everyday_life.asp
§
Exploring the Net www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/11_17/exploring_net.asp
*Online Only
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