Today, I received the (copied/pasted below) e-missive encouraging the (proper and well within USA-Dance guidelines) use of Facebook as a communication tool for USA-Dancers from Angela Prince, USA-Dance's PR Director:
10/15/09 Social Media Sites -
How You Can Get Connected
Facebook Approved For
USA Dance Chapters
National USA Dance has three Facebook pages established -
USA DANCE INC (main site), USA DANCE COMPETITIONS and YCN-USA DANCE (Youth & College Network). I am the point person for the main national site and post information and news weekly.
All national and chapter sites are and should be open to members and non-members to join. Explore Facebook as an addition to your chapters existing website. It's a great tool to share information, news, requests, event notices, photos/videos from activities, gain new members and stay in touch with each other. It's a great way to share with other chapters and keep members involved weekly.
Angela Prince, Director Public Relations
USA Dance Inc.
PublicRelations-Dir@usadance.orgwww.usadance.orgwww.facebook.com/usadanceincwww.facebook.com/usadance_competitionswww.facebook.com/ycn_usadanceinc Join Us On Facebook
Be a "friend" & Connect With Dancers
Do encourage all chapter members to join as "friends" at Facebook.com. Being a Facebook member allows you to access the USA Dance group pages and we want you to join! You'll want to review all the settings and controls for your personal page so you restrict who and what can be posted on your page.
Social Media Sites
Facebook is authorized for use by chapters
Technology is moving at lightning speed and we want to help your chapter to most effectively get into this fast lane. A number of chapters are exploring social media sites in addition to their websites to reach and communicate with area dancers in a more interactive manner. While there are a number of social media options, only Facebook is authorized for use by chapters. My Space, Twitter and other social media and blog sites are not approved for chapter communications and should not be used.
Keep It Positive & On Track
And Under Chapter Control
No negative blogging or criticism is acceptable on any of our sites. Our sites are only open to individuals whom the site administrator accepts as a "friend" for that site. Any administrator or creator of your chapters website, Facebook etc. should be approved by and under full control and direction of your chapters board. These sites belong to the chapter and not to an individual and need to be created and monitored with that in mind.
Chapter email lists and internet sites may not be used for personal, business, political or religious purposes. All communications should be relative to USA Dance, your chapter activities, dance options in your area and similar dance related topics - any other use is a violation of and undermines USA Dance policy and purpose.
If you know of any website, social media site, blog or emails that are not positive representations for USA Dance and our chapters, we would appreciate your alert so we can work on behalf of everyone's best interest to correct them.
Consistent Format Is Vital
Already on Facebook?
It is vitally important that the USA Dance brand be protected and consistently presented by all chapters. A number of talented chapter volunteers, with all good intention, have set up social media sites and a few were not well identified, are inconsistent with the national and chapter mission or have failed to use the USA Dance name and logo properly.
Chapter sites must have consistent naming and the photo must be the chapter logo. For example, on Facebook, the appropriate name would be USA Dance Chapter # 0000 - (name of location). This allows for consistent search terms and makes it easy to find our chapter sites.
If you already have a Facebook site, it needs to be reviewed by National USA Dance. Please send information about your Facebook page to Efrosyni Iosiphidis - her email is
rvp-reg3@usadance.org Help Is Available
Want To Set Up Facebook?
There is a team of volunteers on the national level available to help get your chapter Facebook experience off to a positive start and guide you in creating the correct controls and restrictions for your site. Once you get started, it's easy!
Efrosyni Iosiphidis, Regional VP Region III, has been involved in establishing chapter Facebook sites, but with nearly 200 chapters, this is a time consuming process. If you want to get started now, email Efrosyni at
rvp-reg3@usadance.org for guidance.
While I understand the excerpt stating
"Keep it positive, on track, and under chapter control/ No negative blogging or criticism...All communications should be relative to USA Dance, your chapter activities, dance options in your area and similar dance related topics - any other use is a violation of and undermines USA Dance policy and purpose.If you know of any website, social media site, blog or emails that are not positive representations for USA Dance and our chapters, we would appreciate your alert so we can work on behalf of everyone's best interest to correct them..." as USA-Dance's need to "keep it clean", is Facebook an acceptable tool for discussing chapter problems/complaints/concerns that might not always be positive? I fully support a clean, safe communication tool, but there are some circumstances that arise in the developmental stage of a chapter's growth that might not always be pleasant, positive, or productive that need to get ironed out by the membership body as a whole. As some chapters aren't as geographically closely-knit as others (not to mention scheduling fiascos), Facebook might be one of the best venues of chapter discussion on important, even sensitive issues to those unable to physically attend meetings as frequently. Besides that, the whole thing very vaguely hints around dictatorial censorship.
Any thoughts on this, or am I just feeling unreasonably pissy, since I've had very little positive contact with anybody from USADance besides Central Office Mary and Bobbi Jo Gamache- both have helped me immensely through some growing pains for the chapter I recently got drafted into secretarying.
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