A ham license is highly recommended, everyone in the club now has their ticket. Steve Bland is the local tandem instructor in Raleigh. STL is in charge of making sure that new pilots meet the towing requirements. If you already have the PL TOW rating, then he'll talk to you to make sure you really know your stuff before we just tow you up. See the introduction to Sky's The Limit for more information about pilot training and equipment sales.
Members also get voting rights, the option to run for an office, decisions on where to fly, etc.
So if you think you will fly 11 tows per weekend and fly 6 weekends per year, you will break even. To find out where the club is flying this weekend, call one of the club officers.