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General Information
 Registration is two part. First you use the submission forms
here (Sign Up Now!) on this website. Secondly, you create a free Yahoo ID
(if you don't already have one).
Please read all the guidelines for the exchange.
RULES, ETIQUETTE &
SUGGESTIONS - PLEASE READ THIS IN ITS ENTIRETY
- it will answer your questions. Please help us keep this project
successful by following these guidelines.
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PLEASE LET'S ALL USE OUR BEST COURTESY. PLEASE
HELP US TO HELP OTHERS. BE PATIENT AND POLITE.
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PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UPDATED EMAIL VIRUS
PROTECTION.
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MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH YOUR
AGREEMENTS AND MAIL YOUR POSTCARDS, DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU DO NOT
INTEND TO TRADE.
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PLEASE DO NOT USE LAST YEAR'S LIST:
We have to start fresh every year asking for troops who want to
participate.
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PLEASE DO NOT POST MESSAGES TO THE OTHER LISTS
asking for postcard exchanges. The postcard exchange is a very large
activity and there have been complaints of cluttering the other lists.
Please use the postcard discussion list to make inquiries. Jan will make
necessary posts to the other lists on a few occasions when needed.
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ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR
STATE/COUNTRY WHEN EMAILING THE MODERATORS.
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CHOOSE A POSTCARD PERTINENT TO YOUR AREA: The postcard you send should reflect the area in which you live. Check
with your local stores because some may be willing to donate cards to your
troop. You should send one card per troop that you trade with. Each troop
makes their own decision on how many cards they want to trade with based
on the finances of the troop. Ask each parent to bring in 5 stamps (or
however many you want) so that you can trade with more troops.
For Examples click here...
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SAFETY!! NO LAST NAMES
- DO NOT
put the last name of the children in your troop on your postcards. Only use
their first name. Please use all areas of caution when kids are using the
internet. Put something about your troop on the postcard and not just
names. We all love to learn about other troops. (You could type up
something on labels and put a label on each card then have the
scouts/guides sign
the card.) For Content Examples click here...
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PRINT CLEARLY
- in black or blue ink, the address the card is going to so that the
postmaster can read it.
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INCLUDE LEADER INFO
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Make sure leader name and email address are on the card so you can be
notified when the other troop receives your postcard. Also include your
return address. There is nothing worse than getting a card and not knowing
who it is from. Make sure your state is spelled out in full so that
International Units will know where you are from. Our state abbreviations
are not well known internationally.
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RESPECT
EMAIL AND ADDRESS PRIVACY
- If you decide to do a project where you make your postcards available to the public,
through print, email or Internet web sites, blogs, etc... Under no
circumstances should last names or addresses appear, please white out
this information. Please respect others privacy
and keep address information between the agreed upon trade-parties.
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A TRADE FOR A TRADE
- Each person will be responsible for contacting troops by email then
giving them their mailing address so the exchange can happen. This will
ensure that trades have been approved by both parties.
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ACKNOWLEDGE ALL EMAILS
you receive requesting trades. Even if you can't trade please let them
know so they don't continue to wait for your response.
Lack of Response
may be cause for removal
: if the moderators receive multiple complaints that a leader is not
acknowledging emails, they may be removed from the database and lose
access to the exchange site.
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NOTIFY THE MODERATOR
WHEN YOU REACH YOUR LIMIT:
Once you have reached your limit please contact your State or Country's
Moderator listed on the Contact Page and
we will take your
email address off the
list.
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SEND CARDS OUT PROMPTLY:
Once you agree to trade, please send the cards out within a reasonable
time frame. Make your trades and mail your postcards timely so that troops
can receive their cards and make their displays before Thinking Day.
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KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CARDS:
For ease in tracking, keep a list of troops, with mailing and email
addresses, that have agreed to trade with you. When you mail your postcard
put the date you mailed it next to the troop info. When you receive a
postcard from that troop put the rec'd date by the troop info. Templates
are available at the TD Exchange Yahoo Group site.
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BE
REASONABLE IN YOUR REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADES SO ALL CAN PARTICIPATE:
Units from other countries are listed in the main database. US
Troops and UK Units, please try to limit your
international trades to a reasonable number so that others can have an opportunity as
well.
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Join the Exchange
SIGN UP NOW
choose your category (US, Canada, or International) and fill out and submit the completed form.
You are Added to the
Database:
The
states, provinces and countries are divided among different moderators.
Once your moderator has received your information your troop/unit will be added to the Postcard
Exchange list and you will be sent an invitation from Yahoo Groups to Join
the exchange.
Accept the Yahoo Groups
Invitation Sent:
The exchange starts in
August, but sign ups begin in July. You will not receive your invitation
until the exchange is officially open (you will be notified when the
exchange opens) Once you have joined the group you can browse for your
information to make sure it is correct and check out
the list of troops and units participating. Then start emailing troops and
units you would like
to swap with.
There is a discussion list for use during the exchange. You will
automatically be added once you join the exchange (it is recommended you
change your membership settings to receive this in digest form, rather
than individual emails). This list is where information is posted that troops/units need to know during the exchange. Towards
the end of the exchange, the list will be open for everyone to post the
states and countries they need to complete their displays.
We Need All State's Participating:
As you will see, there are states that do not have enough troops
represented. If you know of someone or locate a troop
from one of these areas, please invite them to join the exchange.
Examples of are Rhode Island, Delaware, Montana, & North Dakota.
MORE INFO ON JOINING AND WORKING WITH YAHOO GROUPS
If you do not already have
one, you MUST have a Yahoo Member ID to get to the database. To get an ID go to
www.yahoogroups.com and sign in as a
new user. If you have more than one email address make sure that you have them all listed in your yahoo id setup,
you can determine the default email you wish to use.
Once you have your id, log in
to yahoo groups. On the left hand side of your page you should see TDPostcardExchange listed under My Groups. Click on that.
You will enter the groups and see the database link on the left.
Click that. Here is where you will see the list of directories for states and
countries. DO NOT give your mailing address until
both sides have agreed to trade.
When you log in, if you don't see TDPostcardExchange listed then look for a place that says
'Don't see all your groups?' Click on that and follow those directions.
Once you are in the site please check your troops/units information to ensure accuracy.
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