I joined a guild about an hour away from home last year when my marriage broke down. It is a Modern Quilt Guild.
I love it. No one there knows my story, it is just about the shared love of quilting. I cannot think what would make me leave the guild. I do not get to every meeting, but try to and try to get to a few of the sew-ins. If I were to move away I would find another Modern Guild to join.
The guild in my home town is traditional and meets during the day. I work full time, so it is not an option to join it.