Our guild is small and with limited finances, so we (about 25 of us) take turns signing up yearly for the monthly meeting.
Members are in charge of the program and if we can bring in a speaker that's fine. We've about exhausted the local speakers as we only have $50 for them. They are usually quilt shops that present a new technique or tool that's a current and popular trend, giving them advertising and some sales of what they present.
So we do our own lessons on certain patterns, any type of sewing, applique, historical, travelogues, etc. and then (with receipts) are given up to $25 for printing or copying, or supplies, etc. The program does NOT have to be about sewing or quilting. One member, on a recent trip across country, visited the town of Hamilton MO. That provided a wealth of info about the Missouri Star Quilt Company and that town's history by Jenny Doan and her family. One of our meetings is a Christmas Dinner paid by the guild; someone has to make those restaurant arrangements. Another is a salad/dessert potluck for our organizational meeting and someone has to arrange the paper products and beverages, etc. Ornaments, placemats, shortcut techniques, the making of portable ironing boards, styluses, purses, cake decorating, etc. have added to our knowledge. This system has worked out very well for several years and sometimes two can do the program together as co-presenters. "Those who sew together, grow together." and WOW! have we grown!
Good luck.