It seems like we have a lot of members who have had unhappy experiences with a quilt guild, so I thought maybe some of us who belong to groups could make suggestions on how to make new people feel welcome.
(First, though, for the person looking to join a guild, be sure that it is a teaching guild that welcomes beginners. Some guilds work on projects that only experienced quilters can participate in, and their programs are not geared toward teaching. Ask the clerks at your local quilt shops about local guilds and who to notify to ask questions.)
I'm the Program Coordinator for the group I belong to. We are not an official "guild" so we don't have to conduct our business meetings at the group meetings. We have the business meeting on a different day, but all members are welcome to attend and participate. I'm happy to say that we are a teaching group. We have approximately 80 members and we welcome beginners who want to learn to quilt. We also offer workshops for beginners that are taught be our more experienced members.
We have a Sunshine Lady who greets everyone at the door. Before the meeting begins, she walks around and chats with all visitors and new members. If you have a large group, maybe 2 Sunshine Ladies would be appropriate. She also sends out cards to members who are ill or having an operation. If a member (new or old) misses 2 meetings, she calls to invite the person back (which gives the member a chance to say if there is a problem).
We also ask board members to sit at different tables each month, so that no one ever sits alone.
At the start of each meeting, we ask visitors to introduce themselves and tell us about themselves. We also ask them about their quilting experiences.
We welcome ALL show and tell. There is always something to compliment about every piece of work. We never offer criticism unless someone asks what they are doing wrong and wants suggestions on how to fix it.
I hope to see some more positive ideas that my guild, as well as other guilds, may be able to use at our meetings. :thumbup: :D