"the easier philosophy gets to disseminate, the harder it is to live"
I really think you hit the nail on the head, here. If OT/UPB/RTR/EA were published in the 40's and the only way you could get a copy was by stumbling across it in a musty used bookstore, there'd be no discomfort whatsoever in not spreading it around to friends and acquaintances. You could quietly treasure "the truth" for yourself alone.
I admit I occasionally look for excuses not to confront people with the truth, perhaps that's the case for other board members as well. It could be that in the course of the conversation, they've ended a relationship or deFOOd or moved to a new city and don't want to risk alienating their remaining social circle. Perhaps they've moved from college to career and don't want confrontations within their new work environment (particularly if their friends are also co-workers). With the passage of time, the initial excuses start to run out and the tension increases.
By the way, I love the birds singing in the background. Is the Wood Walk as nice as I envisioned it?