Index
About The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group
The Combs &c. Honor Roll
The History of the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group
The Combs Mailing List
Notices and Agreements
Budgets and Financial Reports

Our Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group

“&c.” is the archaic abbreviation for the word et cetera, abbreviated as etc. in modern usage. Our usage of &c. in our name is to emphasize that our research includes Combs-Associated Surnames (in-laws, friends and neighbors) as well as the surnames Combs, Coombs and all other variant spellings.

Our Combs &c. Group consists of all past and current Subscribers to our Free Combs Mailing List, our Primary Goal to Document Our Combs and Combs-Associated Lines by Sharing Freely both Our Records and Our Research.

Membership in our Group is Free, as is Access to our Research. We are non-profit, and do not fund-raise, solicit funds, use snail mail or have bank accounts. In the past, our Non-Profit status has been informal, but on 8 Jul 1999, we were formally incorporated as a Non-Profit Organization. (See Notices and Agreements)

We provide Researchers with not only our Free Mailing List (over 250 regular subscribers), but also our Free Combs &c. Research Web Site (over 1,000 records-packed research reports); and our Free Mailing List Archives (consisting of over 20,000 back postings to our Combs &c. Mail List, most of them records).

All of these, as well as our Domain Name, are paid for by contributions from various Individual Members directly to Service Providers (See our budget below), or the donation of their services and/or expertise.

The largest donations by members of our Group, however, are the thousands of records and meticulous, well-documented research, immeasurable in value, and provided freely to our Combs &c. Project via postings to our Mail List (all of which are deposited in our Mailing List Archives, and ultimately organized on our web site). These donations are provided, of course, only after members have already paid their own individual research expenses (microfilm rental, copying and snail mail costs, computers, modems, programs, scanners, service providers, professional researchers, etc.).

Our Combs Mailing List is the Primary Vehicle for conducting our Research, and is very unique for two reasons:

(1) It is primarily a “Research List” rather than a “Query List;” and

(2) We actively welcome all Researchers of not only Combs &c. Lines, but all Combs &c. Associated Lines to Join Us.

Records and Research posted to our Mailing List (over 250 regular subscribers) are stored in our List Archives (over 20,000 back postings to our Combs &c. Mail List), and ultimately these are published to our Web Space as Research Reports (over 1,000 files). Because it is impossible for our Volunteer Web Editors to keep pace with Postings, our Reports are almost always “Under Continuous Construction”, and Researchers are encouraged to post to our Mailing List for the most current information.

Every Combs &c. Research Report includes Copyright Restrictions designed specifically to (a) protect our group research efforts from abuse or misuse; (b) protect the Copyrights of Individual Researchers, including Published Authors who have provided material for our use; and (c) ensure that all of our research remains Truly Free on the Internet - Free to all Researchers and Free from Commercial Use and Abuse.

Our Research Reports, Photographs and Documents are provided for the use of those engaged in non-commercial genealogical research. Researchers are encouraged to copy and distribute our Reports freely, but with the proviso that our Reports may only be copied and circulated in their entirety, including Copyright Notices, and all sources, bibliographies and credits; and excepting electronically, in which case permission is freely granted to hot-link to the applicable file instead. Any and all commercial use is strictly prohibited.

List Archive Copyright Restrictions are more stringent than our web-based Research Reports: Postings in our List Archives are not to be circulated (printed, reposted, uploaded, etc.) without the Specific Consent of the Individual Poster, or of the Group on behalf of the Poster(s).

These Restrictions are not for the purpose of limiting our fellow Researchers, but to ensure that our covenant of Free, Non-Commercial Usage is not violated. It was for this reason that we insisted on the removal of our List Archives from Rootsweb's server following their recent for-profit incorporation, and for this reason that we now require server and listserver licensing agreements (See below and Why We Left RootsWeb).

Important! Your Help Is Needed. If, after reading more about us, you decide that our Group is not for you (too time-consuming, you're more interested in a straight query list, etc.), we would still very much appreciate your posting your Combs Records to our Mailing List (deeds, wills, census, letters, biographies, bible records, marriages, pensions, etc.). We’d love you to join us, but if that’s not feasible or desirable, please Lend Us Your Combs to help us continue to further our goals.

Also Note: All Contributors of Records and Research are also eligible for The Combs Honor Roll whose criteria changed significantly following the for-profit incorporation of RootsWeb. Eligibility for the Honor Roll is now based on all donations to our Project, whether “Dollars or Documents” (Donations to Service Providers or Donations of Records and Research). Because of this change, the Honor Roll is currently incomplete (we are the in the process of updating it right now). If you are a Combs &c. Researcher and your name is missing from the Honor Roll, please email Combs-Coombs &c. Webmaster, Subject: Honor Roll, with your name listed exactly as you wish it to appear.

To learn more about us, see also the History of the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group. In the meantime, Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Combs-Coombs &c Research Group
Dedicated to Truly Free Genealogy on the Internet

Notices and Agreements

8 Jul 1999

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
COMBS-COOMBS &C. RESEARCH GROUP

The undersigned person acting as Incorporator of a nonprofit corporation pursuant to the Arkansas Non-Profit Corporation Act of 1993, does hereby adopt the following Articles of Incorporation of such Corporation:

ARTICLE ONE The name of this Corporation is COMBS-COOMBS &C. RESEARCH GROUP.

ARTICLE TWO The Corporation is a public benefit corporation.

ARTICLE THREE

This Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes as follows:

To establish and maintain genealogical, historical and literary records, information and publications that relate to persons with the surname of Combs or variant spellings thereof;
To establish and maintain genealogical, historical and literary records, information and publications that relate to geographic areas in which persons with the surname of Combs, or variant spellings thereof, were located;
To promote educational activities related to the study of genealogy and family history;
To assemble genealogical, historical and literary records, information and publications, publish such information electronically on the Internet and make such information freely available to interested researchers; and
Subject to the provisions of Article Eleven of these Articles, to conduct any activity not otherwise prohibited by law which serves to promote the foregoing purposes.

ARTICLE FOUR The duration of existence of this Corporation shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE FIVE The street address of the Corporation's initial registered office is 8315 Cantrell Road, Suite 240, Little Rock, Arkansas 72227-2423 and the name of its initial registered agent at that office is Gregory B. Graham.

ARTICLE SIX The names and addresses of the incorporator is follows:

NAME ADDRESS CITY AND STATE

Gregory B. Graham 8315 Cantrell Road, Suite 240 Little Rock, Arkansas 72227-2423

ARTICLE SEVEN

The Corporation shall have members.

ARTICLE EIGHT

The internal affairs of the Corporation shall be regulated by the Bylaws of the Corporation which shall be adopted by the directors of the Corporation.

ARTICLE NINE The affairs and business of this Corporation shall be controlled and conducted by a Board of Directors, the size of which shall be fixed by the Bylaws of this Corporation, but in any event shall consist of not less than three (3) directors. Each director (except the initial directors) shall serve such term of office as may be fixed by the Bylaws of this Corporation.

ARTICLE TEN

The initial Board of Directors shall consist of three (3) members who shall serve until the expiration of their respective terms specified in the bylaws of the Corporation and until their successors are elected and qualified. The name, address and term of each person who shall serve as one of the initial directors is as follows:

NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY AND STATE

Gregory B. Graham 8315 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, Arkansas Suite 240 72227-2423

Hannah Combs Friedlander 5126 Pepin Place Madison, Wisconsin 53705

Debra J. Kendrick P.O. Box 2445 Ft. Campbell, Kentucky 42223-2445

ARTICLE ELEVEN No part of the net earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, private shareholders or individuals, except that the Corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article Three hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

ARTICLE TWELVE Upon the dissolution of the Corporation, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the Corporation, dispose of all of the assets of the Corporation in one or more of the following ways, as the Board of Directors shall determine:

exclusively for the purposes of the Corporation, or
to a state or local government for a public purpose consistent with the purposes of the Corporation, or
to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Chancery Court of the county in which the principal office of the Corporation is then located, exclusively for the purposes of the Corporation or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand this day of July, 1999.

Gregory B. Graham, Incorporator

Ed Note: Greg Graham is a long-standing, active member of our Group who freely donated time, effort, expertise and filing fees to seeing our “Not Impossible Dream” fully realized - for which we shall all be eternally grateful and appreciative. We also thank cousins, Debi and Hannah, for agreeing to accept initial board positions. Their integrity and dedication will serve us all well.

Also Note: Next to come will be the drafting and formalization of By-Laws.

3 Jul 1999

NOTICE OF INTENT

I, Carole Hammett, Coordinator of the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, and Listowner of the Combs Mailing List (Combs@rmgate.pop.indiana.edu (Maiser List and Digest), Combs-L@rootsweb.com and Combs-D@rootsweb.com, and Combs@USRoots.com and Combs-Digest@USRoots.com), hereby give notice this third day of July, 1999, that immediately upon completion of formal application for non-profit status of the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, I shall transfer full ownership of the Combs Mailing List and its Archives; all Combs-Coombs &c. Research Project web files and web space; and Domain Name, if any, to said Group.

Carole Hammett, Email: webmaster@combs-families.org

1 Jul 1999

GENEALOGICAL MAILING LIST AGREEMENT

In consideration for a subscription to utilize our services as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists, Combs@USRoots.com and Combs-Digest@USRoots.com, owned by Carole Hammett and/or the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, a nonprofit group, USGenWeb, Inc. does hereby represent and agree that neither USGenWeb, Inc. nor its affiliates claim, or will claim, any copyright, right of use, or ownership of the content and postings to such Combs Mailing Lists other than to publish such postings to its subscribers during the time it acts as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists. USGenWeb, Inc. does further hereby represent and agree that upon any termination or other cessation of the use of USGenWeb, Inc. as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists, for any reason whatsoever, USGenWeb, Inc. will make freely available to Carole Hammett/and or the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, all list materials and posting, including any archived materials, and make no further claim for, or use of, such materials, notwithstanding any conflicts with the laws of the State Idaho, wherein USGenWeb, Inc. is domiciled, agreed to this 1st day of July 1999.

Carole Hammett,
Listowner, Combs@USRoots.com & Combs-Digest@USRoots.com (formerly Combs-L@rootsweb.com and Combs-D@rootsweb.com, and Combs-L@maiser.com and Combs-D@maiser.com)

Coordinator, Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group,
http://combs.dragonfire.net/index.html

Jerry E Dill, President
PGP Public Key: E71D8569
USGenWeb, Inc, sole owner of
RootsQuest.Com,
USRoots.Com and
USGenWeb.cc

Offices located:
811 Terry Drive
Emmett, ID 83617-3170

2 Jul 1999

REVOCATION OF LICENSE

X-Sender: carhammett@pop.mindspring.com
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 04:39:05 -0600
To: Brian Leverich <leverich@rootsweb.com>
From: C Hammett <carhammett@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Parting Ways …

Cc: Old Combs Mailing List <Combs-l@rootsweb.com>,
New Combs Mailing List <Combs@USRoots.com>,
Combs Group Special Discussion List <Combs-group@onelist.com>,
Combs Announcement List <combs-all@onelist.com>,
Karen Isaacson <karen@rootsweb.com>,
C Hammett <CarHammett@mindspring.com>,
C Hammett <carhammett@rootsweb.com>

At 11:13 AM 7/1/99 -0700, Dr. Brian Leverich wrote:

Hi Carole -

RootsWeb has a million users to serve, and I've just noticed that Karen is being grossly unfair to our other users by spending an inordinate amount of time trying to work with you.

Because you are obviously not satisfied with the service we're providing and because we have a responsibility to serve 999,999 other users, RootsWeb is:

(1) Refunding all monies you have ever contributed to
RootsWeb.

(2) Disabling the ~combs Website, though leaving the content
so you may retrieve and delete it.

(3) Placing a copy of the COMBS-L archives where you may
download them at ~combs/public_html/COMBS.zip

Placing those archives, which have always been
accessible to the public, at that location for your
downloading is simply a courtesy and has no other
significance.

(4) Revoking your privileges to use RootsWeb, beyond
performing a final download.

If you have any difficulties doing your final download, you may
contact me at: leverich@bw-5.rootsweb.com.

I hope you find greater satisfaction and have great success with your research on other servers. Cheers, B.

Dr. Brian Leverich Co-moderator, soc.genealogy.methods/GENMTD-L
RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative http://www.rootsweb.com/
P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 leverich@rootsweb.com

============

To Brian Leverich, co-owner of the for-profit RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, a sole proprietorship, and Rootsweb.com, Inc., a for-profit organization, incorporated in Delaware and California.

Dear Sir:

This email is to advise you that:

I must confess I am confused as to why your disapproval of actions taken by Karen (termed grossly unfair) would cause you to take action against me.
My recently expressed dissatisfaction was not with service, but changing goals, directions, policies and guidelines at RootsWeb, particularly in regard to (a) your recent financial reorganization and for-profit status (a striking divergence from that presented to myself and others as a basis for your solicitation of funds); (b) your having put to commercial use hundreds of thousands of copyrighted list postings from thousands of mailing lists; (c) your refusal to clarify ownership and copyright status of both individual postings and list archives; and (d) your clear disregard of input from thousands of your fellow Members of the Cooperative, most particularly those who form the backbone of RootsWeb: its Listowners.
I remind you, sir, that I am a long-time, active Member and Supporter of the RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, both financially, and as a solicitor of funds on behalf of the Cooperative.* Although you appear to have forgotten that fact, my support was such that I even offered (rejected) to front the entire cost of formal non-profit status (501(c)(3)) for RootsWeb following one of your repeated declarations that you had insufficient funds for same.

*Over 20% of the subscribers to our Combs Mailing List are Members of the Cooperative compared to the overall %7 of RootsWeb List subscribers; and their contributions have been over 60% higher than the overall average, all made in the belief that RootsWeb was non-profit and/or pending non-profit.
I neither requested, nor do I want, a refund of contributions made by me as a Member of the RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative. Please cancel whatever actions you have taken immediately.
I neither requested, nor want our ~combs website disabled, let alone deleted (I was unable to FTP once I had downloaded the COMBS.zip List Archives file, thus prevented from downloading all other files (over 1,000 of same). Please restore all files immediately.
Your having made me a “Member of the Banned” (“revoked privileges”) will presumably result in all emails from me to addresses at rootsweb.com being rejected, including my own CarHammett@rootsweb.com address. I ask therefore that you forward this email to any addresses which might be rejected.
While it is true that Karen Isaacson and I were corresponding in regard to procedures for moving the Combs Mailing List and its Archives from RootsWeb's listserver and server, we had not yet reached any agreement as to if, when, where and how that move would take place.
As a result, your unauthorized posting to Combs-L@rootsweb.com included several errors, the most gross of which was providing the WRONG INFORMATION to subscribers of the Combs Mailing List. Hopefully, you or someone will forward this email to the Old Combs List at Combs-L@rootsweb.com to ensure that the CORRECT information is available to all; to wit:

The CORRECT Instructions for our Combs Mailing List at its new location are:

To SUBSCRIBE to List Mode:
Email: majordomo@rootsquest.com
Body: Subscribe Combs

To SUBSCRIBE to Digest Mode:
Email: majordomo@rootsquest.com
Body: Subscribe Combs-digest

To POST to the Combs List: Email: Combs@USRoots.com

Since our relocation at USRoots.com was the direct result of your precipitate actions, we should perhaps thank you for that at least, given that we now have a formal Mailing List Agreement which protects the Non-Profit and Copyright status of both Individual Postings and our List Archives:

From: “Jerry E Dill” <jed@rootsquest.com>
To: “C Hammett” <carhammett@mindspring.com>
Cc: “Debi Kendrick” <FetherTail@aol.com>

Subject: Re: Combs Mailing List Agreement (Revised)
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1999 15:22:53 -0600

To: Jerry E Dill <jed@rootsquest.com>; C Hammett <carhammett@mindspring.com>
Cc: Debi Kendrick <FetherTail@aol.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 3:02 PM

GENEALOGICAL MAILING LIST AGREEMENT

In consideration for a subscription to utilize our services as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists, Combs@USRoots.com and Combs-Digest@USRoots.com, owned by Carole Hammett and/or the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, a nonprofit group, USGenWeb, Inc. does hereby represent and agree that neither USGenWeb, Inc. nor its affiliates claim, or will claim, any copyright, right of use, or ownership of the content and postings to such Combs Mailing Lists other than to publish such postings to its subscribers during the time it acts as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists. USGenWeb, Inc. does further hereby represent and agree that upon any termination or other cessation of the use of USGenWeb, Inc. as listserver for the Combs Mailing Lists, for any reason whatsoever, USGenWeb, Inc. will make freely available to Carole Hammett/and or the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, all list materials and posting, including any archived materials, and make no further claim for, or use of, such materials, notwithstanding any conflicts with the laws of the State Idaho, wherein USGenWeb, Inc. is domiciled, agreed to this 1st day of July 1999.

Carole Hammett,
Listowner, Combs@USRoots.com & Combs-Digest@USRoots.com (formerly Combs-L@rootsweb.com and Combs-D@rootsweb.com, and Combs-L@maiser.com and Combs-D@maiser.com)
Coordinator, Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group
http://combs.dragonfire.net/index.html

Jerry E Dill, President
PGP Public Key: E71D8569
USGenWeb, Inc, sole owner of
RootsQuest.Com,
USRoots.Com and
USGenWeb.cc

Offices located:
811 Terry Drive
Emmett, ID 83617-3170
As also noted in my reply to your “Directions for other Combs list,” to ensure that we are all clear as to the current standing of the Combs Mailing List and its Archives:

REVOCATION OF LICENSE

I, Carole Hammett, in my capacities as Listowner of the Combs Mailing List at RootsWeb and Maiser, Coordinator of the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, and individually, for and on behalf of myself, the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, and all past and current subscribers and/or posters to the Combs Mailing List, their successor, heirs and assigns, do hereby revoke and terminate any and all licenses, express or implied, that I have granted to you for the use of any and all materials protected by the copyright laws of the United States which have been prepared by me or delivered to the Combs Mailing List at RootsWeb, the Combs Mailing List at Maiser, and/or the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group. All such materials were submitted by myself and other posters on the basis of my understanding, and my representations to others who subscribed or posted thereto, that the materials would be used for non-commercial purposes. Please remove permanently all such materials from your lists, databases, and any other location where they may be published by you.

I will undoubtedly have additional comments, questions and/or requests for clarification at a later date, but will close for now with but one final comment:

I am neither an idiot, nor entertained
(Ref: h t t p : / / l i s t s e a r c h e s . r o o t s w e b . c o m / c g i - b i n / i f e t c h 2 ? % 2 F u 1 % 2 F t e x t i n d i c e s % 2 F U % 2 F U S G E N W E B % 2 D A L L + 1 9 9 9 + 5 3 2 1 1 0 1 3 6 9 + F )

Sincerely,

Carole Hammett,
Member, RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative
Listowner, Combs Mailing List
Coordinator, Combs-Coombs &c. Research Project
Dedicated to Free Genealogy on the Internet
http://combs.dragonfire.net/index.html

23 Jun 1999

NOTICE TO REMOVE ARCHIVES & CEASE ARCHIVING

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 15:59:09 -0600
To: listmaster@rootsweb.com
From: C Hammett <carhammett@mindspring.com>
Subject: REMOVE Combs & Combs-MS Mailing List Archives
Cc: CarHammett@mindspring.com
Message-Id: <4.1.19990623155000.00e89080@pop.mindspring.com>

This is to notify you that:

The Combs Mailing List at RootsWeb is no longer to be archived in any manner (archiver@archiver@archiver.rootsweb.com has now been added to reject list).
Please email me a zipped file of all Combs Mailing List back list postings (archives) to date, including both Maiser and RootsWeb.
Please REMOVE all Combs List Postings from your server (again, both Maiser and RootsWeb).
Please email me a zipped file of all Combs-MS Mailing List (now-defunct) back list postings (archives) to date.
Please REMOVE all Combs-MS List Postings from your server.

Sincerely,

Carole Hammett
Combs-L & Combs-MS List Owner
Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group Coordinator

The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group
Who we are and What we do
(including “tech-stuff”)

We are now Officially and Formally
Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, Inc.
a non-profit organization
(See Articles of Incorporation under Notices)

Important Notice!
The Combs &c. Research Mailing List has a New Address (or two)!

Our Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group

The Combs-Coombs &c. Honor Roll
Helping to Keep Our Research Project Truly Free!

Click Back to Return

Notices and Agreements

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
COMBS-COOMBS &C. RESEARCH GROUP

NOTICE OF INTENT

GENEALOGICAL MAILING LIST AGREEMENT

REVOCATION OF LICENSE

NOTICE TO REMOVE ARCHIVES & CEASE ARCHIVING

Click Back to Return

The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group Who we are and What we do (including “tech-stuff”)

We are now Officially and Formally Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, Inc. a non-profit organization (See Articles of Incorporation under Notices)

Important Notice! The Combs &c. Research Mailing List has a New Address (or two)!

Our Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group

The Combs-Coombs &c. Honor Roll Helping to Keep Our Research Project Truly Free!

Click Back to Return

Notices and Agreements

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF COMBS-COOMBS &C. RESEARCH GROUP

NOTICE OF INTENT

GENEALOGICAL MAILING LIST AGREEMENT

REVOCATION OF LICENSE

NOTICE TO REMOVE ARCHIVES & CEASE ARCHIVING

Click Back to Return

The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group
Who we are and What we do
(including “tech-stuff”)

We are now Officially and Formally
Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group, Inc.
a non-profit organization
(See Articles of Incorporation under Notices)

Important Notice!
The Combs &c. Research Mailing List has a New Address (or two)!

The Combs-Coombs &c. Honor Roll
Helping to Keep Our Research Project Truly Free!

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
COMBS-COOMBS &C. RESEARCH GROUP