I can't find the owner of an egroup I am a member of and would like to become the new owner.?

The owner has deserted the group and the group has not had any posts in more than a year. I am the newsletter editor for this club and would like to retain the same name and become the new owner. How can I do that? The owner doesn't belong to the club any more (our EAA chapter 712) his email bounces and no one has any contact info on him anymore. There must be a way to transfer ownership of the group.