INSPIRATION, FELLOWSHIP, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and most of the things you mentioned above. I stayed away a long time because I did not want to be critiqued by the quilt police. But they don't go to my guild. Maybe they go to one of the other 4 or 5 near me. Sometimes we have a speaker. We virtually always have sharing of finished projects. We do lots for charity, for the local hospital, animal shelter, Quilts of Valor and Soldiers Angels. We potluck on a schedule, charter a bus to the International show at Long Beach, play Bingo for FQs, have door prizes, blocks of the month and Friendship exchanges plus more I am too tired to think of now. Go check yours out. And if it is not a great match and you are not in a really rural area there may be several near you. Find a good match for. Some people are the quilt police do they do not mind hanging with them at all.