Here is a true story that many contradict some of the negativity. I joined my first guild in 1993 and attended a few months before I had to move to another city. In 1996 I moved back to that city and found that guild had split into two guilds. I picked one and rejoined. I was sitting near someone and we talked about the baby afghan I was crocheting. I told her that I just had a fire at my apt (no insurance either) and I had lost all my sewing stuff including my two sewing machines. At the next meeting I was so surprised because the guild members had spread the word and they had two boxes of things for me - material, thread, scissors, books, patterns. It was so kind and generous.