The CG doesn't have an official mechanism for accepting and monitoring recreational boater's float plans, but that doesn't eliminate them as a resource. Honestly, they simply don't have the resources to handle the volume of paperwork they'd be inundated with if filing float plans were stanardard procedure for recreational boaters.

On our club trips, a float plan is always left in the windshield of a car at the put-in, in a brightly tagged envelope. (Yes it's typically inside the car, but if the CG really needs it, a broken window is a small price to pay.) We also make use of "trip monitors", people who are aware of our planned return time and who are instructed to contact the authorities if we do not report in at a specified time. It's a simple backup procedure that insures that someone will come looking for us in the event of a major problem.

We also carry marine VHF radios, typically several in a given group. The CG and nearby vessels are only a call away. Our trip leader training program is pretty extensive and the strategy we use is a team approach that builds on the strengths of the leaders, while minimizing any weaknesses.

Like your club, we do a fair amount of rescue training. We typically notify the CG and/or the local Harbormaster of our plans, in order to avoid well-intentioned false alarms.

It's not difficult to be safe on the water, you just have to make the best use of the available resources and take the bulk of the responsibility upon yourselves.