Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America Privacy Policy

The Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America is committed to respecting and protecting the personal privacy of its members and those who visit its website (the “Site”). It is our policy to acquire personal information from users only by overt and voluntary means, only when it is in the interest of the user to provide it, and to utilize this information only for the purpose it was provided.  The information that follows explains the kinds of information the Three Harbors Council website collects, how it is used, the conditions under which it is made available to third parties, how information is maintained, and our compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

NOTE: This privacy policy applies only to www.ThreeHarborsScouting.org and  www.ThreeHarborsLearningForLife.org. This privacy policy does not apply to any unit website, as their content is not controlled by the Three Harbors Council. Please contact the administrator of any unit or other Scouting-oriented website for information about their own privacy policies and the information they collect about their site visitors.

What information does the Site collect?

The Site collects anonymous data that is not indicative of and cannot be traced to an individual without the cooperation of the individual’s Internet Service Provider. This data includes information about the user's remote IP address, referral data (which page "linked" to the present request), and the browser software's user-agent string. This information is accepted passively from the HTTP headers that are sent from the user when requesting any file from the server. Other anonymous data entered by the user may be collected in a common repository, including terms entered into the search engine, ZIP codes entered into the council locator, etc.

Personally identifiable data is collected only by means of form interfaces on the Site, into which the user must voluntarily enter the information requested. This information is requested only when it is necessary to accomplish the overt purpose indicated by the interface containing the form that requests it. Such form interfaces require only the information reasonably necessary to accomplish the overt purpose indicated on the interface.

We may also collect non-personal and anonymous information from users to be used in an aggregate fashion. For example, we may collect system-related information, such as an IP address, browser type and operating system type to be used for system administration purposes, to help diagnose problems with our servers, to monitor traffic patterns, to determine which services are used most frequently and to assess site usage. We may retain information we gather about you indefinitely.

From time to time, we may also elect to use "cookies" for the convenience of our users and to enhance your experience using the Site. A cookie is a small text file that is recorded either temporarily or persistently on your hard drive by a web page server and is not used to deliver viruses or other harmful programs to your computer. Rather, cookies enable us to recognize a user without requiring the user to repeatedly log in when using the Site. By relying on cookies, we may be able to deliver a more efficient service that is more personalized for each user. Additionally, cookies may allow us to monitor traffic patterns, Site usage, and session information to make the Site more useful.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies. If you prefer, you generally have the option of setting your browser to decline cookies. Alternatively, you may be able to modify your browser setting to notify you each time a cookie is created and permit you to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis or to accept cookies from websites that meet certain disclosure and use specifications.

What organization is collecting the information?

Information entered by Site visitors is retrieved directly by the Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America:  330 South 84th Street, Milwaukee, WI  53214: Telephone (414) 774-1776.

How does the BSA use the information it collects?

The anonymous information collected is used to monitor the usage of the Site and the interests of those who use it. Data such as the volume of traffic to the server, the number of visitors a certain section of the Site receives each month, or the most popular search terms are analyzed to derive general statistics about the Site’s reach and the audience's usage patterns.

Personally identifiable information is used only for the express purpose for which it was submitted. For example, if a user enters their contact information for the purpose of registering for a special event, the information will be used only to register them for the event.

With whom does the BSA share the information that is collected?

The BSA does not share personally identifiable information about its website visitors with anyone.  Reports, statistics, and other analysis of aggregate anonymous information may be shared within the organization or provided to third parties at the sole discretion of the Boy Scouts of America. This information does not include any personally identifiable information.

Exception: the Boy Scouts of America reserves the right to use all information at its disposal and to share this information with ISPs and other third parties as necessary to investigate any incident of misuse or abuse of its site, server, or information systems.

How does the BSA comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998?

This legislation applies only to websites of a commercial nature. However, the Boy Scouts of America considers it to provide sound advice for any website that is intended for use by children.

Therefore, the Boy Scouts of America does not use its website to collect any personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age. Providing personal information is never a prerequisite for accessing any of the content or resources on this website. Specifically, refusal to provide personal information via a web interface will never result in a user being denied access to any on-line content or resource he would be able to access were the information submitted.  Certain information is required for event registration.

Policy Modifications and Deviations

This policy was last modified on 5 October 2012.  We reserve the right to change this policy at any time. In particular, we may modify this policy reflect changes in the way we collect, use or disclose information or to reflect changes in privacy laws, regulations and/or industry standards. We encourage you to review this p[olicy when accessing the Site.  Continued use of the Site following changes indicates your acceptance of the changes.