Website Privacy Policy

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 use this information only for the purpose for which it was provided.

The information that follows explains the kinds of information the 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.swflcouncilbsa.org. It does not apply to any other council website, unit website, or Trail's End's website, as their content is not controlled by the Southwest Florida Council of Scouting America. Please contact the administrator of any council, 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 this site collect?

This site collects anonymous data that is not indicative of and cannot be traced to an individual without the cooperation of their Internet Service Provider. This data includes:

• The user's remote IP address
• Referral data (which page "linked" to the present request)
• The browser software's user-agent string

This information is accepted passively from the HTTPS 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.

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.

No attempt is made to covertly or "quietly" collect personally identifiable information, nor are cookies or any other tracking technology used for the purpose of coordinating information that a user may opt to enter in various interfaces on the site.

What organization is collecting the information?

Information entered by site visitors is retrieved directly by the Southwest Florida Council, 1801 Boy Scout Drive, Fort Myers, Florida 33907.

How does the Southwest Florida Council use the information it collects?

The anonymous information collected is used to monitor the usage of the website 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 in the "Eagle Alumni" form for joining the alumni group, the information will be used only for purposes of the group. Likewise, if a user enters information to register for an activity or event, it is used only for that purpose.

With whom does Scouting America share the information that is collected?

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

Exception: Scouting 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 Scouting America maintain the information it collects?

In most cases, personally identifiable information is not maintained. Once it has been used for its intended purpose, it is deleted. Because of the brevity of this interval, no mechanism is provided to enable users to alter or delete information they have submitted.

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

The Southwest Florida Council does not use its website to collect any personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age. Any interface that requests personally identifiable information and can be expected to be viewed by children under 13 years of age is accompanied by a notice that submissions cannot be accepted from users under 13 years of age. Where "age" or "date of birth" is requested, no information will be stored or transmitted unless the response indicates that the user is 13 years of age or older.

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 online content or resource they would be able to access were the information submitted.

Policy Modifications and Deviations

We may modify this privacy policy and will post those changes here. If the privacy policy changes in the future, we will not use any personal information you have submitted to us under the current Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially inconsistent with this Privacy Policy without your prior consent.

It may be necessary to deviate from this general policy in unique instances and for specific purposes. In such instances, a link will be provided to a description of the deviation. This link will be placed where it can be reasonably expected to be noticed prior to submitting any information for which this privacy policy is modified or exempted in any way.

Text Message Program

Privacy Policy: Mobile information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes. To opt out, text STOP.

Terms & Conditions: By agreeing to receive messages from Southwest Florida Council, you understand that message frequency varies, and message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.