Hello Graham,
though probably most local societies will not need to register (and pay a fee to the ICO) it does not mean that you don’t need to follow the regulations. The regulations apply to all businesses and organisations that process personal data – whether electronic or on paper.
Registrations are just the way that the ICO is funded, and the exemptions for small clubs and the like are more or less the same as under the old law.
So I am afraid it is not a silver bullet.
Regards,
Callum