I belong to a Bee and a Guild.
In the Bee, we all become fast friends. Helping each other with a technique, color choice, and lots of encouragement to beginner quilters, etc.. We make charity quilts for the sick, exchange books for reading and then give them to a nursing home, make 2 quilts a year to raffle for our church, have pot lucks at birthday times, a yearly retreat etc.
In the Guild, we have excellent classes, do charity quilts, have show and tell, block of the month, sell used quilting books, bi-yearly retreats, and a quilt show every year. It is hard to make friends in the group. They do say 'hello" and then go join their friends. I do volunteer, but have to admit, if it wasn't for the great classes at reasonable prices, I would not belong.