Ivarb,
I agree with most of what you say. Indeed a group of men can function very well among themselves without a club but once one rule is established, you are now a 'club' (or pact). If a couple of you get together in the cow pasture and one of you says "The wind is from the left so lets take off to the left and make our first turn away from the flight line and each of us fly a different frequency" you have joined in a pact, committee, union, club or whatever you want to call it for the benefit of you all as a group.
By the way I share your views on lawyers (ambulance chasers).
But honestly, think about it. Judging from some of the posts on this forum some of these jokers shouldn't even be allowed to take their plane out of the car, much less fly. Rules or no rules.