Oh please. ARFs and RTF planes have proliferated because people wanted them. They've kept the hobby alive if anything as the instant generation took an interest. There are many threads on RCU about the decline of the hobby. What it boils down to really is that it's not new or cutting edge anymore, therefore kids don't care about it as much. It has gentrified, and like any organization that does that flying clubs will have to reinvent themselves in order to survive.