Keep at it! The AMA for the most part for you is good insurance, that can help you access flying sites, and keep folks off your back. The magazine, while totally commercial oriented, IMO, is a good source of info of what other fellow AMA members and clubs are doing. It also give rise to interests in other aspects of the Hobby: Electric, Gas, Giant Scale, Foamies, Helis, FF, Gliders, etc.
As for a commercial, Yes, they need a commercial badly. Perhaps a down low inverted pass from a 46% Extra in full smoke, then have Chip Hyde, Sean McMurtry, and others emerge from th smoke and say a few inspiring words.......Of course the AMA would have sign off on the idea, and that could take years.
But Keep at it, and I hope to see you and your friend at a field in the future, as I travel around to the various cool places with flying fields. Oh, btw Im 43. Think this hobby cant be a generation gap bridger? think again.