Aaron: From the initial letter in which the (retired) attorney demands we turn over our rights to the domain name, he states that in the early part of October, 2002 "You used association funds to effect this registeration."

That is blantantly incorrect. We (wiwe and I) purchased the url via Network Solutions with our credit card; and still have the receipt printed out on that day. Then, while all other personal expenditures incurred by various members, including the wife and I, were paid at the end of the reunion from excess funds we turned over to the new regime, we never requested ... nor received repayment.

I responded back to his letter that his accusation was news to me; and requested he provide proof. Incidentally, I have copies of the bank records and recipts for all funds collected and/or expended ... except for .23 cents ... which we've placed in a sealed envelope in the event if we have to turn these records over to someone.

Next he states that at this time of registering it was "the intent" that the ultimate web site be the official site of the association.

That too in blatently incorrect. The "intent" was solely mine to 'hopefully' assist in generating responses from crewmembers to attend the reunion since ... and this is key ... I, as an individual, was the sole guarantor for all reunion debts incurred.

At that time, there was no association in existence. It did not become fully organized (adoption of by-laws and other corporate requirements) until a year or so after the close of this initial reunion; either at their reunion of 2004 or 2006. At the end of October, 2002, I and the other committee members that I had 'drafted' to assist, on the advice of one of our crewmembers who was an attorney, followed his advice and began the process of creating a Corporation.

I, being a Capicorn ... now (and even then in 2002) retired of course, and also of the banking/financial industry for 30 odd years, was extremely concerned about this large debt we would be signing our names to and the possibility that enough reservations 'might' not be generated by mere mailings; and that we might have to pay out of our own pocket. 'Dumb' ole me did not realize this when I initially volunteered to do the reunion.

Plus, being an amateur historian I had accumulated several online stories of history, crewmember memories, pictures, etc of the ship ... and had ... months before this all began ... considered doing a personal web page regarding the ship ... after doing the due diligence research that confirmed that no one else had yet done so.

So the reunion volunteering I put myself in, and the realization that we personally faced potential insufficient responses to pay for the process, this all brought forth the memory of my above web site contemplation ... and coupled with the realization that the web presence would be another good advertising medium, I made the personal decision to do so in early October of 2002.

Chuck