I asked for a clarification from the AMA on night flights. If a hobbyist is not a member of a CBO like the AMA, the pilot cannot conduct operations at night. Now if you'd like to see the response from the AMA I will gladly PM it to you.
The AMA has taken the stance that you have to be a member of the AMA in order to be following its community-based programming. Specifically they say: "To operate within the programming of AMA, we require membership as members must: 1. Explicitly affirm that they have read, understand and intend to operate within AMA’s safety guidelines as a condition of membership. 2. Maintain an appropriate level of financial responsibility to afford third party restitution in the event of injury or property damage. (To insure this is met, AMA provides $500k to $2.5 million in liability coverage for each member as a member benefit. This coverage is secondary to any personal liability coverage such as a homeowners policy.) 3. Interactively liparticipate in AMA’s safety program by providing contact information through which the AMA can distribute relevant safety information such as FAA TFR notices, and by which members can provide input and feedback to the AMA on safety related issues." Obviously the AMA wants people to be paying members and have tried to make their program where you have to be a member to say you are following it.
I think one could probably successfully argue that they can operate under the AMA's guidelines without being a member because the major provisions of its safety program are known to the public. But, I guess this would have to be determined by the FAA or the courts.
I don't think they have, and they have no right to say, whether you have to be a member of another community-based organization, in order to operate under the other organization's safety program. That would be up to the other organization.
I'm an AMA member and that's probably the most effective way to demonstrate that you are following a community-based program right now. However, I think someone could probably successfully argue that they are following AMA guidelines without being a member - of course you would have to put forth the effort to prove that is the case.