I have a very similar story to tell. I couldn't join the I.A.S. because I was too young - they (unbelievably!) have a lower age limit of 18! Most people I know who are interested in astronomy become interested at a much younger age (for me, it was about age 10 or 11).

To cut a long story short, I was on the Astronomy Ireland committee for a while. When I realised that I didn't know if I was a volunteer in a club or an unpaid employee of a company, I quit. Unlike you, I decided not to continue with the club or the magazine.

Today, after a long journey during which I've been one of the rioters, I've decided that the best thing to do is to leave well enough alone. It will sort itself out. In spite of his business practices, I have respect for David Moore for his enthusiasm, his energy, his passion, and his success. I am delighted that Astronomy in Ireland is strong enough to financially support someone like him. And, of course, I also have a lot of respect for IFAS - they are pretty much everything that such an organisation should be.

But there can be no denying that there has been hurt. Personally, I was hurt when I realised that my volunteer work may very well have effectively been unpaid work for a company - I felt cheated. Hence my rioting. But that isn't going to solve anything - it is actually only going to make things worse.