I think it is unfortunate when quilt guilds or clubs make new members feel unwanted. I just recently joined a fairly small guild in a neighboring town, but I already knew some of the members so I have not felt unwelcome at all. Over the yrs I have belonged to a total of 6 guilds and various small groups. It didn't take me long to realize which ones I wanted to stay affiliated with and which ones I didn't. One of the worst was a guild that didn't meet very often. When I asked one of the founding members why that was she told me that they just expect their "general members" to pay their dues and keep their opinions to themselves! I didn't realize I was giving an opinion; I thought I was asking a question. LOL