At the league meeting on Sunday, April 26, 2015 the membership of Taunton Girls Softball League unanimously amended the bylaws to include Section 20: Social Media Policy.  Thanks to everyone who contributed to this new policy.

 

Below is the new Social Media Policy which is now part of the TGSL By-Laws:

 

SECTION 20: SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

20.1 Purpose

 

Taunton Girls Softball, Inc. (“TGSL”) recognizes the importance of the Internet in shaping the public’s perception of our organization. TGSL also recognizes the importance of our Executive Board members, sport coordinators, sport committee members, managers, coaches, employees, volunteers, and vendors in leading and setting the tone of social media interactions in a manner that advances TGSL’s mission and goals.

 

20.2 Mission Statement

 

Taunton Girls Softball League is dedicated to the development of well-rounded youth through positive sports competition. We strive to develop fundamental skills through active participation of our players and to promote good sportsmanship from our players, managers, coaches, and parents. Taunton Girls Softball League is dedicated to providing softball opportunities for the girls of the community by establishing a recreational girls fastpitch softball league and game schedule, to providing recreational girls fastpitch softball teams to compete locally with other towns or regions, and to develop girls fastpitch softball teams for state, regional, and national competition.

 

20.3 Definition of Social Media Policy

 

Social media is defined as the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social media.  Prominent examples of social media channels include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and Instagram.

 

20.4 Applicability

 

This Social Media Policy applies to all Executive Board members, sport coordinators, sport committee members, managers, coaches, employees, volunteers, players, parents, and vendors (“TGSL Members”). This Social Media Policy applies to all social media content posted by TGSL Members in their professional and personal capacity to the extent such content is related to TGSL.

 

20.5 Aspirations

 

TGSL strives to create a positive and inclusive organization that is dedicated to helping young athletes reach their potential. In furtherance of this goal, TGSL aspires to engage members of the Taunton community in positive, honest, transparent, and knowledgeable dialogue about TGSL through social media. TGSL views social media as an important tool for communicating its successes and opportunities for athletic and individual development. TGSL also views social media as a platform for receiving constructive feedback from the community and for discussing TGSL’s challenges and opportunities for improvement in a positive and constructive way.

 

20.6 Guidelines

 

All TGSL Members shall abide by the following guidelines when using social media:

 

1. Be positive and respectful, and always take the high road. When disagreeing with others’ opinions, remain appropriate and polite. If you find yourself in a situation online that is becoming antagonistic, ask a member of the TGSL Executive Board for advice on how to disengage from the dialogue in a polite and respectful manner that reflects well on TGSL.
    

2. Do not post content that would harm TGSL or damage TGSL’s reputation. Remember that even while you are on your own personal time, you are a representative of TGSL, and people may interpret your online postings or social interactions as though they were official TGSL statements.
    

3. Use good judgment when posting comments on any official TGSL sites. Bear in mind that your comments can create liability for TGSL. If you are unsure whether a comment is appropriate to post, either do not post it or obtain prior approval from the Executive Board.
    

4. Be smart about what you publish. Once something is posted, it exists online forever. Ask yourself, “would I want to see this published in the newspaper or posted on a billboard tomorrow or ten years from now?” If the answer is “no,” do not post.
    

5. Encourage others to engage in positive interactions on social media. If you are concerned about any TGSL Member’s use of social media, please bring your concerns to the attention of the TGSL Executive Board.
    

6. Personally identifiable information (information, such as a name and date of birth and/or a street address which, when taken together, can identify a particular individual) should not be disclosed in any manner on official TGSL social networking sites without the approval of the Executive Board.

 

20.7 Violation of the Social Media  Policy

 

The TGSL Executive Board shall have the authority to monitor and enforce this Social Media Policy. The TGSL Executive Board, and any individual appointed by the Executive Board, shall have the authority to remove any inappropriate or offensive comments from official TGSL sites and to block any individual or organization from posting on any official TGSL social media platform if they determine, in their sole discretion, that such removal or block is in the best interests of TGSL.

 

The failure of any TGSL Member to adhere to this Social Media Policy shall be considered a violation of the TGSL Code of Conduct, and any TGSL Member who fails to adhere to this Social Media Policy shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of such individual’s involvement in TGSL, in accordance with the TGSL Disciplinary Procedures.