The Rochester NY Chesterton Society (“the Society”, “we”, “us”) is a volunteer-run reading society in Rochester, New York. We respect the privacy of everyone who visits www.rochesterton.com (the “Site”), writes to us, attends our meetings or comes to the Fr. Leo Hetzler Conference. This Privacy Policy explains, in plain language, what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what choices and rights you have.
By using the Site or sending us information you acknowledge that you have read this policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not submit personal information to us.
1. Who we are and how to contact us
The Society is the “controller” of the personal information described in this policy. The Site is maintained by volunteers from St. Irenaeus Ministries on the Society’s behalf. For any privacy question or request, write to [email protected] with the subject line “Privacy”. We aim to reply within 30 days.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Information you give us
- Contact form. Your name, email address, optional telephone number, the program you are interested in, your message, and whether you have asked to join our mailing list.
- Mailing list. Your email address (and name, if you provide it).
- Emails and letters. Whatever you choose to include when you write to us directly.
- Events. If you register for or attend a meeting or conference we may record your name, contact details, any donation, and dietary needs you tell us about for lunch. We never ask for sensitive information and ask you not to send it.
2.2 Information collected automatically
- Server logs. Like almost every website, the server that hosts the Site automatically records technical information when pages are requested: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring page, pages requested and the date and time. These logs are used only for security, troubleshooting and keeping the Site running.
- Browser storage. The Site stores one small value in your browser’s local storage to remember your choice on the cookie notice. See our Cookie Policy.
We do not use advertising networks, tracking pixels, social-media plug-ins, fingerprinting or third-party analytics on the Site.
2.3 Information from third parties
Conference recordings are hosted on YouTube. The Site does not load anything from YouTube until you press a play button. Once you do, a video player is loaded from youtube-nocookie.com, a privacy-enhanced mode provided by Google LLC, and Google’s own privacy policy applies to that interaction.
3. How we use your information
| Purpose | Information used | Legal basis (where GDPR/UK GDPR applies) |
|---|---|---|
| Replying to your enquiry or request | Contact-form and email details | Your consent; our legitimate interest in answering correspondence |
| Sending meeting reminders and conference news | Email address, name | Your consent, which you may withdraw at any time |
| Organising meetings, conferences and speaker visits | Name, contact details, attendance, dietary needs | Performance of our arrangement with you; legitimate interest |
| Recording donations | Name, amount, date | Legal obligations and legitimate interest in good stewardship |
| Keeping the Site secure and working | Server logs | Legitimate interest in security |
We will not use your information for any purpose that is incompatible with these purposes without telling you first.
4. How we share information
We never sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share it only:
- with Society volunteers who need it to answer you or run an event;
- with service providers who process data on our behalf, such as our email provider and web host, under their own confidentiality and security commitments;
- with a conference venue or caterer, limited to what is needed (for example, the number of lunches);
- where required by law, court order or to protect the rights, property or safety of the Society, our members or others.
We will not share your contact details with speakers, other members or partner organisations without your permission.
5. How long we keep information
- Enquiries and correspondence: up to two years after our last exchange, then deleted.
- Mailing list: until you unsubscribe; we then keep only your address on a suppression list so that we do not email you again.
- Event registration lists: up to one year after the event.
- Donation records: as long as required for accounting and legal purposes (normally seven years).
- Server logs: normally no longer than 90 days, unless needed to investigate a security incident.
6. How we protect information
We take reasonable administrative, technical and physical measures to protect personal information, appropriate to a small volunteer organisation: access is limited to the volunteers who need it, accounts are protected by strong passwords, and the Site is served over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we learn of a breach affecting your information we will notify you as required by law, including New York’s SHIELD Act.
7. Your rights and choices
Wherever you live, you may ask us to:
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
- delete your information, subject to any legal duty to keep it;
- stop sending you emails — use the unsubscribe link in any message or simply reply “unsubscribe”;
- withdraw consent you previously gave, without affecting earlier processing.
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland you also have the rights to restrict or object to processing, to data portability, and to complain to your local data-protection authority. California residents may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act; although, as a small non-profit association, the Society is generally not a “business” subject to that law, we will honour equivalent requests. We do not sell or “share” personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising.
To exercise any right, email [email protected]. We may need to confirm your identity before acting. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
8. Children’s privacy
The Site is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, in line with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Students are warmly welcome at our conferences; those under 18 should register with a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
9. International visitors
The Society is based in the United States, and information you send us will be processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country. By submitting information you understand that it will be transferred to and processed in the United States in accordance with this policy.
10. Links to other websites
The Site links to other websites, including YouTube, Google Maps, St. Irenaeus Ministries and online libraries. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their policies.
11. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Because the Site does not track visitors across websites, there is nothing for a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal to switch off; we nonetheless respect both signals.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it was last changed. If we make a significant change we will say so on the home page or by email to our mailing list.
13. Contact
Questions, requests or complaints about privacy: [email protected], subject “Privacy”. You may also use our contact form.