Take care to understand the goals and nature of the clubs you are a member of. Always use your own thoughts; gathering independent information to form your own thoughts about things you want to stand for. If your club is being directed by an opposing view or in direct conflict to your beliefs, but overall similar goals, voice your own beliefs, compromises and justification. Some clubs have been taken over by extreme activists, and followed blindly by many. You do have the power to influence them by providing facts, feedback and a continued presence. If they are totally misrepresenting you and you believe your $ is being used against you leave them and find a club that is closer to your position.
I see it often in clubs there is a good idea and a charge to action without much thought and generally in the quickest and easiest path.
I work in the environmental sciences department for a government organization. I have strong beliefs about the environment and individual rights. There are many of us that walk the fine line in the middle. We actually have major influence as many with extreme views look to us as people with a portion of their view and curious of our belief of the opposition.
I have been very impressed with the leadership and intelligence of the WSSA, SAW, and some others that often post on here. I will join a state Snowmobile club and a local recreation club. I am reluctant to join some of the larger fishing and wildlife (not hunting) groups due to their direct opposition to sensible compromises and overwhelming ideological emphasis.
If you support a club like a hunting group or perhaps wildlife group ensure that your opinions are clear. It is easy to support a specific thing like not having 4-wheelers in a hunting area they are not supposed to be, and that support being used to ban all off-road vehicles. I don’t want ATVs, trucks, rafts, hikers, whomever digging up salmon redds in the middle of rivers, and steams but I need to be very careful of the way I approach this, as I believe there can be simpler ways of getting this across without supporting an extreme environmental view that will take a way my other recreational opportunities. Clear correspondence within an organization and to elected official’s mail readers and phone filters is the way to protect these rights.
Maybe membership in many clubs is needed to get a concise point across. I will gladly write and call when asked to from the leaders of my groups. Also I will often contact my club leadership with concerns of conflicting beliefs.
You can impact the world with an idea, phone, e-mail, and letter.