POLICIES & TERMS

This website is run by Young Military, an Ohio nonprofit corporation based in Garfield Heights, Ohio (4828 Edgepark Drive, Garfield Heights, OH 44125). Questions about your information go to our founder, Mike Dudley Sr., at mdudleysr@gmail.com or (216) 324-7661, or through our contact form.

We only collect what people type into our forms, plus a basic page-view count:

• Youth applications (completed by a parent or guardian): the child's name, date of birth, city, program track, preferred chapter and why they want to join; the parent or guardian's name, phone and email; how you heard about us; and the parent or guardian's consent.
• Volunteer applications (adults 18+): name, date of birth, email, phone (optional), city, preferred chapter (optional), how you heard about us (optional), why you want to volunteer, and your agreement to the volunteer terms.
• Contact form: name, email, phone (optional), organization (optional) and your message.
• Accounts: name, email and password (stored only in scrambled, hashed form).
• Donations: your name, email and gift amount. Card details are typed into Stripe's payment form and go straight to Stripe; we never see or store your full card number.

To review applications, contact families and volunteers about the program, answer messages, run accounts, record donations, and keep youth safe. We do not sell, rent or trade personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.

This question, including the "Court / Probation" choice, only tells us how families find us, and answering it is optional. We do not share anything about a child with a court, probation officer or other agency unless the parent or guardian gives us permission, or the law requires it (for example, a child-safety report).

Our site counts page views with its own simple counter. It records the page visited, the website you came from, and whether you are on a phone, tablet or computer. To count unique visitors it stores a one-way code made from your IP address, browser and the date; the code changes every day and the counter does not store your IP address. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking. If you sign in, your browser stores a sign-in token so you stay logged in; signing out removes it. Like most websites, our web server also keeps standard technical logs (which include IP addresses) for security and troubleshooting.

Only a few service providers that make the site work: our web host and site developer, WeldonPC, which runs the server and database; Stripe, which processes online donations; and Google Fonts, which supplies the lettering on our pages (your browser connects to Google to load it). Program information is seen only by the Young Military leaders who need it to run the program.

We keep information only as long as we need it to run the program and keep records the law requires, and we delete it sooner when you ask (see below).

You (or, for a child, the parent or guardian) can ask to see, correct or delete the information we hold. Email mdudleysr@gmail.com, call (216) 324-7661, or use our contact form, and tell us whose record it is. We will confirm who you are before making changes, and we will tell you when it is done.

Our site uses a secure (HTTPS) connection, and program records can only be viewed by signed-in staff accounts. No system is perfect, so please do not send sensitive details (such as medical or court information) through the contact form.

Our youth programs are for ages 10 to 14. A parent or legal guardian must complete the youth application and check a box confirming they are the parent or guardian and giving consent for Young Military to collect the child's information and contact them about the application. That consent is saved with the application. We do not ask for the child's own email or phone; the parent or guardian's email and phone are the contact details we use.

Website accounts are for parents, guardians and volunteers age 18 and over. Children should not create their own accounts or send us their personal information. If we learn that a child sent us information without a parent or guardian, we will delete it.

A parent or guardian can ask at any time to see, correct or delete their child's information, or to withdraw their consent, by emailing mdudleysr@gmail.com or calling (216) 324-7661. Withdrawing consent means the child can no longer take part in the program.

We only publish photos or video of a young person (on this website, social media or printed materials) with permission from that child's parent or guardian. We do not publish a child's full name alongside their photo. A parent or guardian can withdraw photo permission at any time, and we will take down photos of their child that we control.

Some images on this site are illustrations of what our program will look like, not photos of actual participants.

Adults must complete a background check before they are allowed to work with youth in our program. Anyone with a disqualifying offense may not serve in any role.

No adult may be alone with a youth participant. At least two adults must be present during all program activities, meetings, transportation and events.

Physical contact between adults and youth is limited to handshakes, high-fives and other brief, appropriate interactions. Prolonged or intimate contact is prohibited.

Adults may not message youth privately by phone, text, social media or email. Communication goes through the parent or guardian, or includes another adult or the parent or guardian.

Volunteers are briefed on these rules, warning signs of abuse, appropriate boundaries and how to report concerns before they work with youth.

Call 911 right away.

Anyone can report suspected child abuse or neglect, and you can do it without giving your name. In Ohio, call 855-O-H-CHILD (855-642-4453), which connects you to the children services agency for your county. In Cuyahoga County you can also call the 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at (216) 696-KIDS (5437). Report it; do not try to investigate it yourself.

For any concern about an adult's or a youth's behavior in our program, contact Mike Dudley Sr. at mdudleysr@gmail.com or (216) 324-7661. Concerns are shared only with the people who need to know to keep youth safe. Anyone who makes a good-faith report will not be punished or removed for doing so.

Cadets are expected to treat peers, volunteers and community members with respect. Bullying, harassment, discrimination, substance use and violence are prohibited. Cadets follow instructions from program leaders, wear the uniform as prescribed, and represent Young Military well in the community.

Volunteers are role models. They keep professional boundaries, avoid favoritism, never use their role for personal gain, and report concerns right away. Alcohol, tobacco and controlled substances are not allowed during program activities.

Problems are handled step by step: a verbal warning, a written warning, suspension, then removal. Serious violations (abuse, criminal activity, safety breaches) mean immediate removal and a report to the proper authorities.

By using youngmilitary.org you agree to these terms. Please use the site only for lawful purposes, and do not try to break into accounts, interfere with the site, or send spam or harmful content through its forms.

Accounts are for adults 18 and over. Give accurate information, keep your password private, and tell us if you think someone else has used your account. We may suspend accounts that misuse the site.

Submitting an application does not guarantee a place in a program. Information you submit must be accurate, and youth applications must be completed by the child's parent or legal guardian.

Young Military is an Ohio nonprofit corporation. Online donations are processed by Stripe. If you think a donation was made in error, contact us at mdudleysr@gmail.com and we will look into it.

The text, logos and images on this site belong to Young Military or are used with permission. Please do not copy them for commercial use without asking. Program details, events and schedules can change; we try to keep the site accurate but cannot promise it is always complete or up to date.

Links to other websites are provided for convenience. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

We may update these terms and policies. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when they last changed.