I have met with a group of guilds from all over Northern California. They vary a lot in support, cost, friendliness, guest speakers/classes. My guild is very small, friendly, has $5 membership, 2 retreats a year, 2 potlucks separate from the retreats. We have a LA machine available at $3.50/hour for all members to use after initial training. We gave up meeting refreshments in order to gain access to our current meeting place. Show and tell is probably the most important part of our meetings.
We are way off the beaten track, so we don't have outside experts in. We have an annual quilt show and auction in conjunction with the county fair. In the 10 years I've been a member, there have been several suggestions to raise dues or LA fees, always shot down by the richest members. They would rather donate and keep these things affordable for everyone.
One sorta nearby guild has a $55 membership AND $5 per meeting fee. They have really great guest classes/lectures, but I'd rather have things the way my guild does them. I have heard of other guilds from outside this area that are very selective about accepting new members.
I have also heard of guilds which only allow hand quilting. I know one guild which is an adjunct to a local quilting store.
Everyone in my guild is very supportive to new quilters. We also have weekly classes available to anyone at no cost. We have a tradition of aiding families by finishing the quilts of any disabled/dead member. I don't think any of these things are unique to my guild.