I kinda understand the jokers point.  Whether you older people in the sport realize it or not, you are dying off and membership is declining rapidly.  With new simulators and such, people don't need an instructor.  I learned on a sim and I fly (for real now for 6 years)  and land scale planes better than alot of the old "vets" can fly a sport plane.  These are the same old vets that the joker is talking about.  The absolute fact of the matter is, until clubs can make themselves more "appealing" to the everyday park flyer and  and new guys like the joker, things are just going to keep right on tumbling down hill.   I like the idea of an AMA member being able to drive up to any field they want (the field can designate what kind of aircraft can fly) and paying maybe $10-$15 dollars to use a nice facility and get to know some "nicer" people.  Let it be their choice to join the "club".  If they come out to the your field 20 times in a year @ 15 bucks a time that's 300$ a year that a person my not even realize they paid.  If they don't want to join the club but they still pay $300 dollars a year to support the field .....who cares, the field still gets the money.  It's a win win.  The field gets the money, the AMA get's the membership and we all keep the ability to fly because the AMA is fighting for us.