Troop and Service Unit Social Media Group and Account Guidelines

Troop Social Media Group and Account Guidelines*

It is wonderful that you want to create your own dedicated Girl Scout Troop accounts and/or groups on social

media to connect and share triumphs with your troops and their families. Facebook groups are like an online

club and often work much like a Girl Scout meeting where girls and leaders can share experiences, badge and

award updates, milestones, events, photos, schedules, and simply get to know and encourage each other.

Instagram accounts are also a wonderful way to share experiences in a more visual way through pictures and

videos.

(COPPA) and Facebook and Instagram Age Requirements. Troops with girls younger than 13 may also set-up a

group or account if it is administered by a Troop Leader and there is permission from parents of all troop

members. All Groups and Accounts must be accessible to Girl Scouts of Maine Staff.

Troop Group and Account Privacy

It is a Girl Scout and Troop Leader responsibility to maintain girl identity and privacy and to keep all girl oriented

online activity as safe and protected as possible. This means being able to monitor the activity within these

online groups. See the Social Media and Internet Safety section for dos and don’ts.

Facebook

Anyone can publicly search for your “closed” group but they will not be able to see posts and page/group

contents unless you “approve” their request to join. Use caution when approving members and limit approval to

join requests to troop members, volunteers, girls’ families, and GSME Staff only.

Instagram

Any Girl Scouts of Maine Troop’s Instagram account must be set to “private” not “public”. The Instagram

@username must be provided to Girl Scouts of Maine Staff, and you must “accept” @girlscoutsofmaine as a

follower. The Instagram password must be given to at least one Troop Leader for troops with girls 13 and older,

and for troops with girls under 13 only Troop Leaders should have the password and account access. Your

Instagram account must have the following naming convention: “GSME Troop (troop #)” i.e. @GSMETroop9999

Facebook Groups are a great way to communicate with your Service Unit, sharing information on upcoming

events, resources, activities, and more! They can also be an effective tool for Service Team members to

communicate with each other. Instagram accounts can also serve as a great visual way to share what Service

Units are doing.

Service Units and Service Teams Group and Account Privacy

It is a Service Unit Volunteer responsibility to maintain girl identity and privacy and to keep all girl oriented and

Service Unit online activity as safe and protected as possible. See the Social Media and Internet Safety section

for dos and don’ts.

Service Unit Service Teams: “GSME (service unit name) Service Team” i.e. GSME Nidoba Service Team

Anyone can publicly search for your “closed” group but they will not be able to see posts and page/group

contents unless you “approve” their request to join. Use caution when approving members and limit approval to

join requests to Service Unit Troop Leaders and Volunteers, and GSME Staff only.

Instagram

Any Girl Scouts of Maine Service Unit or Service Teams’ Instagram Account must be set to “private” not

“public”. The Instagram @username must be provided to Girl Scouts of Maine Staff, and you must “accept”

@girlscoutsofmaine as a follower. The Instagram password must be given to a Girl Scouts of Maine Staff

Social Media and Internet Safety

• Do not use last names of minors on social media, safety is a top priority!

• Never give out anyone’s personal information such as home address or personal phone number on social media.

• Never list exactly when and where your troop meets or details about events your troop participates in until after the

event has occurred – unless it’s within your closed group. Doing so could put you, your family or girls at risk. Most

General Social Media Best Practices to Keep In Mind

• Think twice before hitting “publish”, “post” or “share”. What you say, share, or post on the internet is permanent,

even if you delete it. Make sure that you will not regret what you post whether it is privately within your group page

or to your Instagram account. Any group member or approved follower can screen-shot comments, pictures, etc.

and share publicly.

• Do not share your personal contact information outside of private/direct messages. The internet and social media

are permanent platforms (even if you delete your content) be careful with what you share.

• Be nice. People tend to be on the bold side when they are hiding behind a screen, please don’t join them.

• Be aware of spammers. It’s no longer obvious when you are being contacted by a spammer, so be aware if your

conversations are taking a turn. Always report them (via Facebook or Instagram) if you think they have suspicious or

Intellectual Property Considerations for Posting

Don’t violate copyright law by using designs, text from magazines or books, poetry, music, lyrics, videos, graphics,

or trademarked symbols without specific permission from the copyright or trademark holder (and, generally, this

permission is pretty tough to get!). Girl Scout trademarks (such as the trefoil shape, Girl Scout pins, and badges and

patches) can be used only in accordance with guidelines for their use. (The Girl Scout trefoil, for example, may not

be animated or used as wallpaper for a website.) Check our Marketing Toolkit for Volunteers for complete graphics

guidelines and approvals.