Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the sense of belonging is pretty important to our human psyche. Cults (and many other organizations) try to do a good job of fulfilling that need. If so, then cult-like behavior is a continuum of fulfilling that need. For example, your cross country group needs to sustain certain numbers to be viable, so it has unconsciously structured itself to attract and retain members: idealogy (repeated over and over), social events, friends with similar values, etc. give it a cult like value.

However, I don’t think your group discourages its members from associating elsewhere. Nor will it attempt to coerce members if they decide to leave. On a cult-like scale, it is probably pretty low. But it does display some features of being a cult.

As you said: “Question everything.”