I only have a little experience of camera clubs (I have only ever been involved with one club and that was only for a year or so). The club I joined was a new one which sounds like it could be a ready good place to meet some other local photographers and share ideas. However I quickly found that it was all about competitions and had a real 'I'm better than you' attitude. I think if you do set something up you need to work hard to avoid it becoming another such club (speaking to other many camera clubs end up the same way).
The new group that I am now involved in is focusing on being a photography group rather than a camera club. The aim of it is to be a place to share knowledge and ideas and to help each other to develop. We are trying to avoid competitions entirely and making it about techniques and useful tips rather than just seeing who has the biggest and best gear. Once the group is more established we are planning to set up a mentoring scheme to help the newer photographers in the group. If you do try and set something up then expect it to take a while to get going, and be prepared to be flexible in your ideas. Also be prepared for potential bad feeling from the existing club.
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