why is there so little action on the forum ?
I think the amount of 'action' is just about right and what I would expect.
Woodturning is a fairly niche subject, so will never be a mass market subject. I wouldn't expect a lot of newcomers will start by coming here, it appears to be for more experienced practitioners.
Frankly, a lack of the beginner's questions that could be answered with a few seconds on Google is one rather endearing aspect of this forum.
I also don't think it would be helpful to have sub forums for individual clubs, it would be too much clutter.