> [I am trying to create my own WELCOME message for new subscribers.]
> When I did that I got the following message:
>
> File "SENIORSIGD-L MAILTPL" had already been deleted.
>
> What does that mean? Was sometehing deleted that shouldn't?

It means you sent the wrong command. If you want to PUT a welcome file, it is a
separate file and does not go into the listname.mailtpl file.
Appearently you never had or already deleted your SENIORSIGD-L MAILTPL
file.

To put a "Welcome " file you start with:

PUT SENIORSIGD-L WELCOME PW=xxxxxxx
then your welcome message goes here...  then send it to Listserv.

This is separate from the SENIORSIGD-L MAILTPL file as is the "Farewell" file.
If what you are refering to is the $SIGNUP template which is a default sort of
"welcome" message sent to new listserv subscribers, then you have to create a
listname.mailtpl file.  What you do here is create a message to Listserv and
include ONLY those templates you want to change. So you would cut and paste
the $SIGNUP portion of the default.mailtpl file into it and edit it the way you want.
Then sent that with the first line being:

PUT SENIORSIGD-L MAILTPL PW=XXXXX
> > > $SIGNUP mesage sent to new subscribers
Then your message here.....

> Is my edited version the way I want it?

Well you have no SENIORSIGD-L MAILTPL file so your subscribers are
getting the default $SIGNUP message. You can send:

GET SENIORSIGD-L WELCOME  to see if you have one of those.

> Is there a way I can test this (As a "list owner" I don't know what would
> happen if I tried to signoff and then back on!).

Owners do not get any "welcome" messages from Listserv. You can be assured
new subscribers are gettting the $SIGNUP template and by default you should be
getting a copy of that when they do. If you do a GET of the Welcome file and
you get it back from Listserv, you can be assured they are too. You can use a
non-owner address (hotmail or something) to try this out yourself if you want.