Policy Objective

High Park Ski Club uses social media to connect with members, prospective members, fans and partners.

This policy establishes the club’s approach for using social media for the purposes of;

1. Promoting the club’s brand.
2. Sharing information about the club’s activities.
3. Distributing time-sensitive, need-to-know information.
4. Providing an additional channel for member service.
5. Adopting an organization approach that encourages participation from all areas.
6. Facilitating directors’ and members’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
7. Maintaining the integrity of the club’s social media activity and ensuring the club’s social media accounts are appropriately used by directors, members and users.

Definitions

Social media administrators – Communications director and social media administrators (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter administrators) who maintain overall, strategic oversight of the club’s social media accounts and monitor posts to ensure adherence to this policy, terms of use and guidelines.

Social media users – All directors, members, volunteers and others who participate in the club's social media accounts.

Responsibilities

President – Directs compliance with this policy, terms of use and guidelines and directs a review of this policy, terms of use and guidelines, as required.

Directors – Endorse and follow this policy, terms of use and guidelines.

Director of Communications – Oversees the club’s social media accounts.

Social media administrators – Endorse and follow this policy, terms of use and guidelines, moderate the club's social media accounts to ensure compliance with this policy, terms of use and guidelines, administer access to the club’s social media accounts, recruit volunteers and provide training and supervision, recommend plans and guidelines for the club’s use of social media channels, prepare editorial calendars, evaluate the club’s social media activity and make recommendations to strengthen its use of social media, monitor postings and take action as necessary (i.e., reply, delete/hide) and provide a copy of this policy, terms of use and guidelines to persons posting inappropriate content.

Social media volunteers – Endorse and follow this policy, terms of use and guidelines, generate and post content, participate in training and accept supervision.

Members and other users – Endorse and follow the policy, terms of use and guidelines, may post content and reply to posts.

General

Accessibility – The club’s social media activity will comply with the communications and information provisions of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and all other applicable laws and regulations relating to accessibility.

Application – This policy, terms of use and guidelines applies to all club directors and members.

Comments – Comments are welcome on the club’s social media accounts and will be monitored for the purpose of providing a positive social media experience and ensuring adherence to this policy, terms of use and guidelines.

Conduct – Directors and members are expected to conduct themselves as, and in a manner befitting, a representative of the club when participating in the club’s social media accounts.

Inappropriate content – The club will delete or hide inappropriate content and offending users will be advised of the inappropriate content and provided with a copy of the club’s policy, terms of use and guidelines. Repeat offenders may be blocked from participating in any or all of the club's social media accounts.

Ownership – The club’s social media accounts and their username and password information are the property of the club.

Privacy – The club’s privacy statement for social media will be included in this policy. As the club’s social media accounts involve third-party providers, the anonymity and confidentiality of participants and the content they provide cannot be guaranteed.

Communication – This policy, terms of use and guidelines will be posted on the club’s website and linked to and from the club’s social media accounts.

Terms of Use

High Park Ski Club welcomes members’ and users' participation in its social media accounts and requires all participants to be familiar with and adhere to this policy, terms of use and guidelines.

Postings on the club’s social media accounts will be monitored for the purposes of providing a positive Facebook experience for all by ensuring all content is accurate, respectful, tasteful, timely, non-repetitive and relevant.

The club will remove, without notice, inappropriate content including but not limited to content that contains:

• False information and/or impersonates or falsely claims to be another person or represent an organization.
• Defamatory, abusive, harassing, obscene or profane language or posts, sexist or sexually explicit content, or makes threats, hateful or violent language towards identifiable person(s) including club members or group(s) including the club.
• Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination or stereotypes on the basis of age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place or origin, creed, disability, family and marital status, gender identity and expression, sex and sexual orientation.
• Demonstrates support or opposition to political or religious organizations.
• Promotes illegal activity.
• Promotes or supports commercial products or services unless explicitly endorsed by the club through a partnership agreement.
• Club advertisements not sanctioned by the club’s Marketing Director.
• Provides infringements on copyrights or trademarks or a legal ownership interest of any other party.
• Content that is not topically relevant.
• Confidential information.
• Personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and other information related to individuals.
• Content posted to the club’s social media accounts is transitory and may not be kept as a permanent record.
• The club will not be responsible for any losses or damages suffered as a result of participating in the club’s social media accounts.
• Members should also be aware of and abide by the terms of use of any social media channel (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) used by the club. In addition, social media channels are third-party service providers and, as such are not private. Therefore, the anonymity or confidentiality of senders and information contained within correspondence sent to the club cannot be guaranteed. This includes posts containing text, photos and videos. Members should be aware that by participating in club events, they may appear in photos or videos posted by members.
• Members are encouraged to report any posts they believe may violate this policy and guidelines. The Director of Communications or Social Media Administrator will promptly review any reported posts and take any action needed to satisfy this policy and guidelines. Actions include but are not limited to a reply or a deletion of the violating post. In the event of a post being deleted, the offending individual will be notified using a Facebook message with an explanation and a copy of this policy, terms of use and guidelines.
• Individuals in violation of our club’s Code of Conduct or those who repeatedly violate this policy, terms of use and guidelines may be removed from the club’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter groups.
• Violating the Club’s policy, terms of use and guidelines may result in loss of access to any or all of the club’s social media accounts.
• Members should also be aware of and abide by the terms of use of any social media channel (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) used by the club. In addition, social media channels are third-party service providers and, as such are not private. Therefore, the anonymity or confidentiality of senders and information contained within correspondence sent to the club cannot be guaranteed. 
• Members are encouraged to report any posts they believe may violate this policy and guidelines. The Director of Communications or Facebook administrator will promptly review any reported posts and take any action needed to satisfy this policy and guidelines. Actions include but are not limited to a reply or a deletion of the violating post. In the event of a post being deleted, the offending individual will be notified using a Facebook message with an explanation and a copy of this policy, terms of use and guidelines. 
• Individuals in violation of our club’s Code of Conduct or those who repeatedly violate this policy, terms of use and guidelines may be removed from the club’s Facebook group. 
• Violating the Club’s policy, terms of use and guidelines may result in loss of access to any or all of the club’s social media accounts. 

Posting guidelines 

• Focus on quality first and foremost.
• Post content that reflects the range of the club's activities, drives engagement and helps to achieve the following club goals: 1) to communicate with members 2) to recruit volunteers and 3) to attract new members.
• Ensure all content is accurate, respectful, tasteful, timely, non-repetitive and relevant.
• Use a variety of formats (e.g., videos, photos, graphics, infographics, and text) and use videos whenever possible as they get the most pick-ups.
• Engage users (e.g., provide a caption, stand up and be counted, share your pictures, create a debate, name it/guess it, choose, tell us, fill in the blank) in posts.
• Create a photo album when there are many pictures related to a single event. A maximum of four to six pictures per album works well.
• Provide a description, which includes standard club keywords, for all photos.
• Post regularly but avoid repetitive posts and posting in quick succession as this is akin to spam.
• Keep text to a minimum, use the minimum number of words needed to convey meaning.
• Post at optimal times.
• Link to the club’s website whenever possible.
• Use standard club keyword(s) in postings.
• Use one set of standard club hash tags per posting. #hpsc.toronto #highparkski #highparkxcountry #highparksnowboard #highparksnowshoe #highparksocial #highparkevent #highparkvolunteer
• Reply to comments to your posts, as appropriate, in a timely manner.

Questions 

Contact communications@hpsc.ca for any questions about the club’s social media policy, terms of use and guidelines.