The expenses of a large guild are considerable, and money usually has to be on hand for booking speakers as much as a year (or more) in advance. Some guilds only do fund raising every other year, and so the money we have on hand right after the quilt show (our big money raiser) has to last for two years. Before you condemn the guild for having so much in the treasury, find out why it's there. Ask for a treasurer's accounting, but be prepared to spend some serious time reading and understanding the report, and asking questions. I was surprised to learn that my membership dues ($25/year) barely pay for producing and mailing the monthly newsletter. (I'm going to change to the email-only version to help the guild save money.) Rent for a room large enough to hold us can be very high, and the guild also must pay for insurance.