My first guild meeting was with a very small guild. I had been invited by two of the ladies that I met at JAF when, as a very new and totally inexperienced quilter, I was asking about quilting supplies. Everyone made me feel welcome. The "entertainment" for the meeting was for everyone to bring their favorite quilting tool and explain why they liked it. When it got to me, I pulled out my credit card. I was still buying the basics and hadn't yet made a quilt.
As time went on, I also joined a huge guild in a nearby town, and then a medium-sized guild in another direction. I felt like Goldilocks with 3 guilds of different sizes. Each had something different to offer. The small guild couldn't afford to pay speakers, but everyone knew everyone else, and everyone contributed to show and tell. The huge guild had wonderful speakers and other events, and although everyone was friendly, it was impossible to know everyone. I would say that the medium-sized guild was "just right" but that's really wrong. All three were "just right" for me.
When I moved to another state, I wasn't worried about finding friends, because I knew that I would meet people when I joined the guild. I've found that it's easy to strike up a conversation with another quilter, no matter where you are.