Our guild uses the first meeting in the month for charity quilts....hospitals, displaced children, disaster shelters, women's shelters.......
About 4 times a year we have a special teacher/class.
There are bus trips planned for quilt shows within a day trip, and 1 shopping trip with a bus.
We have a Christmas brunch and an end-of-the-school-year luncheon (held right before the schools are out)
Each meeting we share what we are working on...the leader is the one who sets the tone for making this positve sharing, or a competition of "the best"(in which case, it is no longer educational or encouraging!)
Once a year there is a planned retreat.
We also have block challenges, and swaps...and round robin quilt sharing within the group that wants to participate.
The leader sets the tone for the meetings and for the friendships that develop...therefore whether people WANT to attend and/or participate (both at the meeting and helping to organize different parts)
Good luck!