I'm in Orlando and would gladly host such a group.
I'm just completing my first major Arduino project which includes an Arduino Mega, a WaveShield, a 20x4 LCD, lighted buttons, analog gauges, a piezo siren, a strobe warning light, a shift (in) register and a joystick from an M1 Abrams Tank. It all comes together to form a spaceship simulator in my son's room.
My electronics background is weak (but improving quickly!), but I'm a long-time coder. My primary motivation at this point is to teach my son basic electronics and to see if he takes an interest in coding.