Social Media Policy

1. Purpose

Barnwell Park Golf Club (“the Club”) uses social media to keep members and the community informed about Club activities, events, competitions, and news. The Club aims to provide a respectful, safe, and positive online environment for all.

2. Scope and Application

This policy applies to:

• all Club members, committee members, volunteers, and staff;
• any person interacting with the Club’s official social media platforms.

3. Club Social Media Platforms

The Club currently operates official accounts on:

• Facebook;
• Instagram.

These platforms are intended for information sharing and community engagement. They are not a forum for complaints, which must be raised through the Club’s formal complaints process.

4. Member Responsibilities

Members must:

• act respectfully and courteously when engaging on Club social media;
• ensure content is appropriate, lawful, and not misleading;
• respect the privacy and confidentiality of other members and the Club.

Members must not:

• post content that is offensive, abusive, defamatory, harassing, obscene, or threatening;
• share confidential or sensitive Club information (including committee matters, member details, or internal discussions);
• post content that breaches copyright or other laws;
• misrepresent themselves as speaking on behalf of the Club unless authorised.

5. Representation of the Club

Members must not represent the Club in a personal capacity without prior approval. Where a member is identifiable as being associated with the Club, they are expected to uphold the Club’s standards and reputation.

6. Administration of Social Media

• The Committee will appoint one or more administrators to manage the Club’s social media accounts.
• Administrators act under the authority of the Committee.
• The Club will make reasonable efforts to keep content current and relevant.

Administrators may:

• monitor and moderate content;
• remove posts or comments that breach this policy;
• restrict or block access to users who misuse the platforms.

Serious or repeated breaches will be reported to the Board of Directors.

7. Inappropriate Use

Examples of inappropriate use include (but are not limited to):

• posting offensive, abusive, or discriminatory content;
• harassment or bullying of any individual or group;
• sharing confidential or sensitive information;
• posting misleading or false information about the Club or its members;
• breaching copyright or other legal obligations.

8. Complaints

Social media must not be used to raise complaints. All complaints must be submitted through the Secretary Manager (manager@barnwellparkgolfclub.com.au).

9. Enforcement and Disciplinary Action

Breaches of this policy may result in:

• removal of content;
• suspension or blocking from Club social media platforms;
• referral to the Committee for further action.

Where appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the Club’s disciplinary procedures.

10. Disclaimer

Views expressed by individuals on social media do not necessarily reflect the views of the Club.

The Club reserves the right to remove any content at its discretion.

11. Acceptance of Policy

By engaging with the Club’s social media platforms, members agree to comply with this policy.

The Club may require members to formally acknowledge this policy as part of membership or renewal processes.

12. Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically and may be updated by the Committee.