DSB Web Site Policies

(Adopted by the membership Nov 11, 2002)

I. Purpose of the Delaware Saengerbund Web Site is to provide members and friends with current information about DSB and our activities in a way that encourages participation and simplifies communications so that we further the German American heritage and Germanic traditional culture as expressed in our Constitution.

CONSTITUTION October 14, 2002 ARTICLE II

The objectives of the Organization shall be:

1. to encourage, support and perpetuate the study and use of the German language, culture, traditions, customs, dancing and German choral singing;
2. to share traditional sociability among the German community and extend it to the community at large;
3. to foster a better understanding of the contributions made by the German immigrant to the American way of life; and
4. to promote good citizenship.

II. Audience:

The primary audience are members and friends of the DSB. The secondary audience is the broader Mid-Atlantic community of people that are interested and supportive of the German American heritage and Germanic culture.

III. Guiding principles:

1. The site will communicate about club events, activities, and celebrations. It will provide simplified means for members, guests and other interested parties to join in appropriate activities. Some will be for members and guests only, while others will be for the broader community.
2. The site will not contain internal club business matters such as meeting minutes, financial reports or membership lists. If needed, a member's only section will be developed with industry standard logon/password protection.
3. The site will respect the privacy of individuals:
   1. The site will not display pictures of individuals with the associated name and means of contacting the individual without written permission.
   2. The site may display group shots of club parties and events without explicit permission of all individuals in the picture.
   3. It may display names, phone numbers and email addresses of key personnel and event contacts.
   4. Alternate contact means may be provided to individuals, at club expense, when formally requested by the member for the purpose of club business only (i.e., DSB will not provide a general email address, it may provide a shared Email account or club phone number).
   5. Should an individual wish personal information excluded/removed from the site it will be done upon receipt of a written request.
4. The site will be implemented in a way that it can be supported by "volunteer" efforts for both technical and administrative support.
5. Unless otherwise designated the DSB, owns the copyright of all material presented on the web site. All pages will contain a copyright notice.

IV. Process for Issues Resolution:

Should any content or other matter on the DSB Web Site cause concern to a member(s), the concerned member(s) must communicate the concerns to the Communications Secretary for discussion and consideration. The next steps will depend on the resolution from this discussion. If the issue is resolved the issue will be closed. However, if the matter requires further consideration following steps will be followed:

1. The member(s) will document the concern for understanding and discussion of the Communication Committee. The member(s) is invited to participate in this discussion.
2. The Communications Committee will discuss the concern(s), formulate a recommendation, the recommendation will be accepted or rejected by majority committee vote. In the event of a tie, the Communications Secretary will cast the tie-breaking vote.
3. If the member(s) do not accept this committee's recommendation, they may submit a written appeal to the DSB Board for action.
4. If after Board action, the matter is still not resolved, the member(s) may bring the matter before the members as a matter of new business after 48 hours notification to the Board of the intended action.
5. After discussion at a monthly meeting by a quorum of the members, the members will vote on the matter. This vote will be binding on all parties.

V. Frequently Ask Questions (FAQ):

1. "If you put my name, phone number or Email Address on the Web, I'll get flooded with phone calls or Emails.

Answer 1: Our names, phone numbers and email addresses are easily available on the Web via the various search engines and on line phone book listings.

Answer 2: To date the DSB web master has only received TWO unsolicited Email from non-club members. One was a friend of the club and asked about the Bauernstube hours the other was from German college student who asked about a seminar.

2. We are a private club and it's no bodies business what we do.

Answer: Our constitution stresses our role to further the Germanic Culture and sociability. To accomplish this end we need to be open and involved with the public. We are not called to be a hidden secret society.

It is true that we are legally organized under the laws of Delaware as a "private, non profit club". This distinction has certain rules we follow and provides certain benefits (mainly in the area of taxation). It is important that we maintain this legal status.