OK, helifun, lets just take a look at what you say.
The chairmans ramblings, as you call them, do in fact cover some the cheapest events that the club has run this year and quite often when there is a charge it only to cover lunch - or do you expect a free lunch as well? There were no restrictions on the numbers for these events so you need not have had any fear of rejection, all you needed to do was put your name down.
I’m sure that you have been to some interesting place and had some interesting experiences so why not tell the magazine editor about them. That way there would be some new faces in the magazine.
In 2003 nine out of sixteen events were FREE. In 2004 ten out of seventeen events were FREE or at less than £10 per head, there were even some events which did include a FREE LUNCH! That does not sound expensive to me.
Nobody ever asks club members what, where or when they would like to go, you say. The events secretary is always asking members for suggestions (see page 9 of the winter edition of Rotor Torque), so come on lets hear something positive from you. Just what would you like to do and what would you be prepared to pay? If you give the guy a call he always takes notice of what members say and as you will have noticed he always gives due thanks and acknowledgement of all help and suggestions he receives.
If as you say you care about the club then why do you not use the club's own web site and the members forum. You above anybody should know about this. What have you to fear from doing so?
There is always plenty of time to nominate, or be nominated, for election to the club's management committee. And as Anne Tenner said if you really feel that you represent the groundswell of opinion within the club then you should stand for election, you'd walk it. And no, you would not be rejected by the encumbents all but one of whom are obliged by the club's rules to retire with no immediate possibility of re-election at the next AGM. Start your campaign now! You can work out who is due to retire by reference to the clubs rules and minutes of previous AGMs. Or its probably easier just to ask the Chairman or secretary; it’s not a state secret.
By the way, I object to being described as riff-raff.