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I just finished my second year. I've belonged to the same association for the same amount of time. I see similar trends in this association as well. As a new official I really had to do it all myself and learn from a lot of my own mistakes. Not that a person shouldn't have to go out and do a lot on their own, but becoming an official can be very intimidating. It would have been nice to have one of the older guys act as a mentor and spend a little bit of time teaching me some of what they know.
There are a couple of fellas that I can call and ask questions, but no one ever showed a desire to really take some time and help me get a good start.
Let me make some suggestions as a new guy...just take an interest in a few new officials. Take some time, get together with them (nothing special, just to go over rules, address their worries and tell them what to expect as a new offical). There are a lot of questions I bet those new guys have but are too embarased to ask in a large group setting. Help them to build confidance in themselves.
Suggest to your association that all first year officals get assigned an experienced official to ast as a mentor. At least then you have established a formal process where new guys should have a person that will be there to advise and help them.
It is a problem (recruiting) but in my mind (from what I've seen, and your message indicates) retention is a much larger problem. You have the numbers, people what to be officals, you just have to get them hooked so that they stay. I think establishing a mentor system will do just that.
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