Local club I go to has mostly wannabe's and hobbyists, (uhhh, myself included) but there are a few who do seem to know more and are more serious about this thing called bonsai, rather than the more common American tradition of stick in pot.
One benefit of a club are potential personal contacts and the quality experience some have. Sometimes "poduck" town club members may sell off works for reasonable prices because they aren't aware of the value in say "high-dollar" town. I may kick myself for many years to come for not purchasing (for real cheap) a very noteworthy forest one member had worked on 10 - 15 years, he's selling because he's either moving or simply getting out of bonsai, I don't recall the specifics, but buying it would have meant I go against my do-it-myself tendancy. I'm just saying sometimes there are those selling their works.
There are contacts to be made for whatever reason you chose to go to the club, but it just may require a considerable effort on your part to define what you want for yourself, then once you're clear on that and you're at the/a bonsai club you can zero in on the person/mentor to meet that need, or it may mean hunting elsewhere for what you're after.
I'm finding most people do not yet have the knowledge to answer very specific questions I come up with regarding bonsai, and I would recommend you determine for yourself whether you're intending to do evergreen, or deciduous, or both. One should be aware evergreens and deciduous require very different developments.
But I'm rambling. Dertermine what you are after, then go after those who can help get you there. A club may help.