On Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 7:32:45 PM UTC-4, wrote:
There is some merit to the "nest egg" comment. Follow me here. The sucessful clubs in the world (almost all European) have enjoyed decades of equity growth in both equipment and experience. These are true clubs that pool their resources and have a significantly greater experience to offer members and prospective members. Conversely in the USA we share almost nothing financially or in knowledge.
A new member must be willing to pay through the nose to train in a P.O.S. with an "instructor" who's never left the pattern. IF they earn their certificate they need to bootstrap a cross country program on their own or retake the same check ride twice and spend their days in the back of a 2-33 as an "instructor" themselves. The system doesn't work. Save your stories about how if you did it anyone can do it. The general public isn't buying it, so I'm not either.
On the bright side there is enough experience to tap into, the proper aircraft exist. What is needed is people giving back. I see the entitlement issue differently. Recently a friend claimed to "play in his own sand box" meaning he had his own glider and was insulated from the problems soaring faced. That is the entitlement! "I got mine, **** everyone else!" Until we pool our resources and give back our FAILED sport will continue to circle the drain in the USA.

Fortunately, my experience in US clubs has been rather different than what you describe.

My current club's growing, and we're all about XC, we give back. There's no real magic here (that is to say: you could do it too).

Our secret weapon, if we have one, is our HpH 304c. It's a big draw to guys looking for a way to get into a high performance XC machine without breaking the bank. That machine is a motivator. Student pilots will work their tails off to get rated and get qualified to fly this delightful bird... then once they do, the motivation goes up still another notch and the hook is often well and truly set. The vast majority of our "304 graduates" buy their own gliders, often within a year or two of taking their first flight in the 304. Joining our club costs $400 initiation and $400 annual dues and another 70-something for the SSA. Last year, tows were $38 to 2K and instruction is free.

None of this looks like failure to us.

Evan Ludeman
Post Mills Soaring Club
Post Mills, VT