i feel your pain mate....
i was one of those that just took to RC within a year i was flying warbirds as good as the rest, i taught 2 young pilots at out club to fly with no problems as our ages were pretty close.
some time later our "HEAD INSTRUCTOR" please!!! left the club and we had 5 pilots left in the cold
....
i offered my instruction and it was turned down, i later found that 2 of the pilots were actually laughing between them selves about me offering to instruct them [&o]...
3 weeks down the line all 5 pilots had not learnt a damn thing and were just sitting it out on the side line until someone would buddy with them if they had time, eventually one guy asked me if i would still instruct him, i gave him sarcastic comment and then agreed..
2 weeks latter he was solo and then the rest of the guys start asking, i never did teach those 2 pilots call it re payment if you will but i refused with the line...
"i really don't think im good enough to teach you" and simply walked away, at the end of the day i had the last laugh there while we were flying they just sat there twiddling there thumbs.....
DON'T BE PUT DOWN by these people, i had the whole club looking at me like i was some idiot but what comes around goes around, keep at it mate and PROVE that you have what it takes....
as mentioned above this happens off the field to, i own my own webdesign business and when clients see you walk into there office they are put off in seconds i can se there faces, at first i found this hard to deal with but now i just use it to push me further and do even better in what i do....
the saying "never judge a book by its cover" is a true one....
good luck