ORIGINAL: Tired Old Man
I know your club, and the rules there are excessively restrictive for gas engines. Fueled turbines and electrics are the primary generators of crash fires.
What makes gasoline less flammable/volatile is the 2 stroke oil added to the gas. It reduces the octane rating several points and stabilizes the gas. The odds of a gas powered plane catching a fire in a crash are not much higher than a glow engine catching fire. Essentially one needs to short out a battery lead and have fuel pouring over it. I've even seen such conditions occur without generating a fire.
Basically you have a bunch of old women that didn't like gas powered planes to begin with setting the safety rules. The brush out there is high and dry in the summer time but their resistance to change is even higher. Don't know what you're going to be able to do about that aside from electing new officers and voting on new rules.
Yes, there is a large electric flying membership. No turbines mainly due the runway size, I assume.
My understanding is that when the folks were discussing with the farmer the possibility of flying models there, he was concerned about fires being started. A gas engine ban was offered up to ameliorate his concerns.
I like the 2-stroke oil idea. Wonder if any data exists to back it up...
Dave