Geoff - (with my Committee Member hat on, but without having discussed your post with anyone) I'll try to give you some answers:
1 - you're right; we really should be getting more members to come the AGM and I await your ideas on how we can do this as everyone will have had e-mails, seen website entries etc telling them when & where it was. I'm guessing in addition to EastEnders people also might have work or family duties......or even live in another country
2 - 2nd claim membership isn't viewed or (as far as I know) used by anyone to save a tenner on their annual subs. The handful we have are 'old friends' who for a variety of reasons have moved on to other clubs, teams, university etc but want to keep alive their link to SNCC. This can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned and would imagine you are well aware of the benefits of having more than one club to ride with
3 - given the chasm between BC & CTT I think it is entirely possible for someone to road race for one club in BC events and Time Trial for another when a CTT event - as such it would seem somewhat nonsensical for a club to stop one of their members riding in club events when they could represent that club in open / inter-club events. In my experience, other clubs also allow second claim members to compete in their 'club' events
4 - theres always next year's AGM if you want to suggest a rule change.........
cheers
Simon
ps - one man's "hidden from view" is another's "published on the club website and all members notified"