I deliberately haven't read any of the posts above, other than the OP.
My thoughts on the subject, in order to achieve some sort of balance (as I can see both sides):
I don't see why the leader of the rideout, as happens on many other rideouts, can't say "OK, I need x markers, if you want to volunteer, go ahead. Closing date is x. From the volunteers I'll go through the list & see who I think would be suitable. If you don't get chosen, please don't get ar*ey about it, it's purely a numbers thing. If we don't get enough volunteers, I'm going to have to approach some people directly & privately to ask them if they'd be up for it."
That way, people would be asked for their contribution to it and the organiser(s) would have people they trusted.
However, that does have the problem of people volunteering, but then getting upset at not being chosen. If not enough people from the volunteers are chosen, then things revert to how they were before.
2pennies, spent.
