Dee, Glad to see you have at least attempted it and you are correct. If the local units aspire to thrive then they should indeed become more proactive in gaining members and retaining members. If you will PM me your info, I will personally find what the problem is and get a hold of the person that should be representing the membership committe in your locale.
I do not have experience with the Escapees but I have heard good things. Are they Airstream Exclusive? Do they cater to Airstreamers at the same level as SOB,s (honestly now). I could be wrong but I am here in South Texas and you could not fathom how many RV's are here. There are literally 10,s of thousands of SOB's here. Airstreams are typically one in several hundred, ( I like that). The point is that most people who join the WBCCI prefer to be in Airstream Circles and reap the benefits of that. Whereas, (I speculate), when you are the only AS in the crowd you are typically a minority and folks dont even recognize AS as an active manufacturer. ASr's are typically a spectacle, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Just check out some of the threads that visit these issues. "What that ol ugly thing", and there are others.
The good thing is that your mind is open and I think that is great. Some others are VERY close minded and do not even have the "time" to be a part of any club. I believe that Big Dee will be an asset to any club that is graced by his or her presence. We look forward to having you as a member whether it be in the near or distant future.
Smily