I am another younger quilter - 27 when I first joined a guild. I feel for you Jennifer22206!!!
I haven't gone in about a year, I stopped attending because I was in school last year which I've since put on the back burner as we're having a new baby...but I'm returning to the guild tomorrow actually! There are things I liked and disliked about the guild. I was also a member of a small little group too that met at the library, there were only about 4 or 5 other ladies at that meeting who were incredibly nice, but I always had that feeling like I never really fit in. I think a lot of it had to do with my age. As for the bigger guild (of about 100 members) I really like that they hire speakers and teachers to come in which is really exciting. There are a lot of the dreaded "quilt nazi's" there who love to make you feel inferior, and it was REALLY difficult for me at first because I'm kind of a sensitive person. But for every stinker there are ten other really nice ladies who would love to talk quilts with you until your heart's content. I think it's REALLY hard to be a younger quilter...they are far and few between and it can be very challenging to connect with other ladies because either they assume you made a couple baby quilts for your kids and now call yourself a quilter or they lose all sense of manners and tell you how and what to do at every opportunity! Lol* I definitely joined to learn, but the approach counts for a lot too! It doesn't feel good to be treated like a little kid when you're nearly 30. ;) BUT, all that aside, I really do like guilds, I just think it helps to have a thick skin...something I'm working on.
Good luck with your new guild - oh and show and tells were always fun and I really like when they have the guild members volunteer to teach techniques that they've learned! It's nice because you are really less afraid to ask questions and kind of think to yourself, "well if she can do it, so can I!"