I think you have summed up almost everything. And I agree with you 99.99 percent. For the 0.01 percent, I am going to share my two cents!

I'm in favor of the club system because its benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks. I also appreciate that SC01 and SC02 support some accounts that are not part of the club, indicating that the marker of quality is above all else. However, this can sometimes set a confusing precedent, making it difficult for people to know what to choose.

You have definitely made it clear how remaining in a club is useful for the author. They can become little curators themselves, like you, in the future. That's definitely one of the biggest perk for the author in addition to the advantages reaped by community and ecosystem of steem.

Personally, I would like to remain in a club as long as I am part of Steemit, and that’s likely to be for years to come.

Taking a break from weekly challenges could be a good idea. It would allow many authors to try different genres, and we might see some great outcomes from this.

As Hira mentioned, while everyone is free to choose their own path, the importance of the Steemit team cannot be underestimated, especially considering the incentives tied to curation. It's not solely about curation, whether one acknowledges it or not; the recognition from the team through votes and engagement undoubtedly fosters a sense of belonging within the system. It evokes a different sense of acknowledgment. But that's just my perspective.