I'm getting the feeling that clubs, in the traditional sense, might be getting a bit of a lashing.... Even though our club has a "formalised" structure - the people in it are far from formal.
We have a very relaxed way about us , but the committee still manage to organise great things to do for its members, guests and the public. There is no in-fighting, at all. We have membership fees and things of value within the club which must be managed by someone other than a loose "leader" of a group. You must have a formal structure to make sure that these things are shared evenly and for the benefit of the clubs' members. Without any structure you cannot manage money and the things it can bring (club scopes, storage areas, observatories, websites, trips, etc). Otherwise this stuff just ends up being owned by a couple of well-meaning people that the rest rely on to stay.
Both types of group have their advantages and disadvantages.
