OK...old member here (and former BOD member). I'd love to see something on aggressive tanks. would love to see something on different types of tanks (seahorses, scorpion fish, lions, groupers, etc.) and their care. Would love to hear from some of the collectors on their practices and how we (as the end consumer) can find the best specimens and care for them. I'd love to hear about best ways to recover from bad things (calc overdose, green hair algae outbreaks, tank overheat, power out, etc.).
There are so many topics other than how to frag, how to setup a new tank and ca/alk/mag balance. Lighting has been talked to death IMO (though LED and fiber are still pretty new and exciting to some). Skimmers are cool, but the principals haven't changed in decades so not much excitement there to those of us that have been around.
All this said, there needs to be a balance too. New folks need to hear about the basics and some of us old guys are happy to talk about it (especially if we are allowed to have a beer while doing it). Those of us that have heard alot of the basics see the meetings as a social club to catch up with friends and to share our knowledge. If it's just a lecture we tend to stay home or go have a beer with said friends.
I'd even go so far as to have one of the local shop owners (if willing) share how the business works. I think this would help folks understand why prices are the way they are, why it's important to support the local shops and how you can increase your odds of having whatever live item you buy survive. It can also highlight why developing a relationship with the shops can really help you in the end. It's not all about the price.
I'll try to get more input to this as I love that you have an interest in bringing both the north end folks in as well as getting the "old" guys back to the meetings.
-Reed