To be linked to the Section W3A site, lodges must adhere to the following guidelines.

Web Site Policies

Because a web site is part of a world-wide—completely public—medium of communication, the policies concerning its content and control are very different than those for publications like The Costanoan Connection, where distribution is effectively limited by a mailing list. For this reason the National Council has prepared a set of policies to assist us in protecting our youth and the privacy of our volunteers, members and other affiliates.

Section W3A has agreed to follow the safeguards as set forth, and the same basic regulations apply to all Scouting groups. The policies listed below have been specifically established for our chartered units, and must be followed if a unit is to continue operating within the bounds of Scouting policy.

Lodges demonstrating intent to abide by the policies can be linked to the Section W3A web site.

• All material presented in the site will be appropriate to Scouting.
• One of the greatest concerns in dealing with this worldwide medium is the protection of our youth and our privacy. Only the first names of youth members under the age of 18 may appear in a site. Full names for adults are permissible. No contact information, i.e. telephone, address, email address, mail-to link, etc. may be published for youth under the age of 18. Written permission must be provided and kept in the lodges’s files for adults whose contact information is published.
• Written permission must be obtained and kept in the lodges’s files for individuals who are specifically shown in images displayed.
• There will be no advertisements or commercial endorsements; no electronic sales of BSA supply division merchandise, and no sales or promotion of competing products.
• No BSA publication currently for sale through the supply division may be replicated.
• Links to pages outside a lodge’s site should be minimized. We do not want our youth members to stumble from a Scouting site into inappropriate material. Those established may only be to sites that are appropriate and applicable to the Scouting movement and its activities. This would include news and informational sites and those providing a legitimate free service important to program presentation. We will not link to sites for the purpose of offering or suggesting a purchase opportunity.
• All Scouting sites must be kept current, and should be of a professional quality. The whole world can see them.