Interesting thread.
In thinking, I have never been approached by a potential student wanting to join RAAus. Ever.
I have however, been approached by lots of individuals wishing to learn to fly.
At an early stage I tell them that they have to join RAAus, and so they do.
Of course it seems weird to them that they have to sign up for "membership" of what is, it seems, merely a contracted administrator. Then I give them a little history about how this historical anomaly came about and how it made sense in earlier times.
I don't think most new "forced" members give a damn about the organisation. This might help explain the general disinterest in voting.
I also note that the term "recreational" is very limiting to many students. Why should they be coersed into pretending to have a recreational interest when they clearly wish to use a small aircraft for business related purposes? In saying this, I in no way attack the legitimacy of recreational flying and note that in fact, pilots often fly for business one day and recreation the next.
I too don't know what's going on so it might be fun to speculate!
Lets see... RAAus staff "resign" and switch to CASA. CASA staff "retire" and move to RAAus. Certain paid staff have tended to become more dictatorial toward "members" in my recent experience. There isn't a lot remaining of the old "lets see if we can sort this out" attitude. CASA has COLONISED RAAus...., I speculate!
We might be near to an END GAME.
Lets see... GFA, SAAA home-builts and AWAL administered aircraft are all registered VH-.
Might it not be easy to make available VH- regos to all RAAus aircraft and announce a phase-out of the RAAus register.
To avoid legal rejigging, CASA could form an in house RAAO to supplant RAAus. The new RAAO would use (initially) a clone of the existing RAAus Ops Manual. It could work well as it would keep us all in business under the same rule set (initially).
It may suit CASA as it would have full control (without negotiation) of its domain once again.
It might also suit the majority of RAAus members, most of whom never wished to be members in the first place.
People are used to paying fees to government departments such as NSW Roads and Maritime Services. So fees for service could replace fees for membership. As a government business unit the new RAAO could even maintain the existing insurance scheme but the magazine would go, to be replaced by Flight Safety.
As for those who want to play politics...they can join their local Aero Club!
Then again. If CASA has already colonised RAAus, might not the end game already be over?!