My dad was pretty expert and taught me the basics, then a few of us got together at school and formed a photography club, the science teachers let us have space in a cupboard for a darkroom and we all subbed in some money to get some basic gear. One of our teachers gave up his spare time to run an after school club for us and taught us the basics of developing, lens designs, stuff like perspectives, various guidelines about composition etc. I cant recall it in specifics now but its part of my programming I suppose.
Some years later I hit a dry spot and started taking duff rolls and my father, no mean photographer himself suggested get an outsider to take a view. Had a hoary old press photog give me some coaching and what he taught me was god stuff......he was a bit like a photog version of Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid and very sharp. Learnt a lot from him.
Personally I tend to stay out of clubs, in my time I have been a member of quite a few for fencing, shooting, astronomy, photography, judo, literature and they have all been riddled with political bun fights, male posturing, back biting etc, sexism etc .......oddly the club with the least male posturing and sexism were the two gun clubs but that may have been because I was wearing a Browning HiPower on my hip and practiced combat shotgun a lot
. ......so for clubs I give them a miss.