I guess that the conclusion is that some people like it, some people hate it and some people think it is an acceptable, if maybe less than desirable, alternative. However, many of you are speaking from places where there are alternatives - as in, "the 2nd Friday group uses the Blue Book, so I'll skip that and go to the 3rd Saturday group". Consider yourselves part of the lucky minority. Here in Albuquerque, there is one...count 'em, one...song circle. RUS is heavily, but not exclusively, used. I doubt that 25% of the people there know everything they sing/lead well enough to do so without a cheat sheet of some kind. BUT, they are having fun singing together. It beats singing in the shower by a good deal. If I were the sort of person who casts aspersions at others, I might be tempted to say something like "elitist snobs", but I'm not so I won't.