The answers being asked for here are mostly due to historical factors. Like many similar societies involved in preservation of heritage, in the past the failure to inspire a healthy age-spread of participants was the cause of the demise of the regional organisations. They were largely run and peopled by an ageing group of cliquey dancers and when in the early days of the revival young folk club people tried to get involved in many cases this was resisted. Now most of these ageing members have passed on and there is a large generation gap between the younger enthusiasts who run their own things without the help of EFDSS and any of the codgers left. This of course is a gross generalisation and there were many exceptions on a regional level.

If you want to read about the EFDSS wars of the 70s and 80s I'm sure there must be other threads on this.

The problem now is a serious one of how to get those many youngsters, who are folking away regardless of EFDSS, to get involved. The many new people brought in over the past 10 years are trying really hard to do this after many years of neglect.