whether a group is meeting more or less formally may vary. The guilds I have belonged to have officers and minutes and maintain a non profit status. Every meeting is a program (lecture) and there are several workshops a year. Many quilt teachers want to give a lecture and a workshop to make their travel worthwhile. My guild makes a raffle quilt every year and half the money goes to charity and half the money goes to fund speakers. We put on a quilt show every other year. It is well worth my $25 per year.
Regardless of what some "national organization" said, anyone can form a guild. Some guilds or other groups meet to sit and sew either their own projects or sew donation quilts.
Formal or informal it's up to the men and women who meet together. My guild started a machine quilting bee last year and has a block swap bee and anyone can attend these. Anyone can speak up or post an announcement in the newsletter and say something "I am available to get together at these times and I would like to make quilts of valor, or baby quilts please join me"
There are numerous small bees in my guild and they vary on where they meet and what they do at meetings. Some meet in the morning and some in the evening etc. Some are open to new members and some feel they don't want new members - maybe that is because meeting in someone's home etc they decided they didn't have room for more. Maybe some groups think they are superior and don't want new members or maybe outsiders just think so. some of the bees in my guild have been together for 20 years.
I know that I went to retreat last year without my friends and the two groups of ladies next to me were as friendly as could be. The organizer of the retreat apologized to me several times because she changed my room assignment twice the morning the retreat started. One of the changes was because two of the attendees were sisters and wanted to room together. I've forgotten the other reason. I ended up getting a roommate that was 20 years younger and very fun. I accomplished a lot at the retreat. Of course when my friend had to cancel and I was forced to go alone I could have worried, fretted, and stayed home.
I just don't understand the negativity in this thread especially from people who "think" they might have a bad experience. We are adults, we aren't in high school. Do you avoid eating out if you have to go alone? Do you ever go to a movie alone or travel alone? It is not the end of the world. Would you not go to a quilt show if you didn't have friends with you? Most people are involved with their own interests and how many people truly have an interest in terrorizing you? Why expect that other quilters will be mean?