This sounds a lot like my guild. We have about 125 members and meet once a month, have door prizes, BOM drawings, charm square exchange, show & tell, and a yearly challenge. We have monthly speakers (some nationally known and some local), workshops some months, and have put on 3 nice quilt shows in the past few years. The guild sets up 2-3 retreats per year, sometimes we'll have an additional project like an ugly fabric contest, and we have a fun Christmas party every December. I have participated in a number of committees and am actually a past president. This meeting is one of the highlights of my month, if for no other reason than the show & tell and the speakers' programs.

I also belong to an 8-member bee which meets once a month, and we're all members of the guild, so we participate in lots of activities together.

I belong to two guilds - one is quite large so they usually have a guest speaker and 'show & tell' at the meetings. The other is a much smaller group - they meet every other month and usually do a project or have a speaker. On the alternate months they have a social meeting at someone's home. Everyone is friendly at both groups but I prefer the smaller one - easier to meet people and get to know everyone.

I belong to two guilds. One I started with when there were only 5 or 6 members. It has become to large. There are now over 100 members and there is kind of a herd mentallity. We have a smaller Bee that consists of about 6 members of the bigger guild that meet twice a month and then go to lunch. The second guild I belong to is also more than 100 members. Their attitude is totally differnt. Everyone does their own thing and they have a wonderful retreat that I have gone to every year for the last 10 years. The second guild was started by Mimi Dietrich it is very laid back just like her. While it is almost an hour drive from my home I enjoy it and the members much more than the other guild which is 40 minutes closer. The first guild's members act like quilting is the only interest in their lives. I have been doing this to long to take it that seriously.

I just decided to join a guild here in Bar Harbor. I am going to my first meeting April 14th. I hope I won't be disappointed. They also are having a quilt show at a firehouse here on the island in May. The lady told me to bring hand work and some things for show n tell.

I'm so glad that most of the folks here have a good experience with their local quilt guilds. I haven't had a good experience here; the one I went to was for more towards the housewife/retired section with machine quilting (no working folks or okay with handsewing...)

Hi Sue,
I noticed that you are in SoCal - what Guild do you belong to? and where? I am interested in joining a guild and there is one right here in Upland, but I don't really know anything about it. I love the enthusiasm you have for your guild!
Barbara

I belong to a quilt guild and absolutely love it. We're a relatively small group, but we have lots of things going on. We also have a show and tell time. We have an annual challenge quilt. We have a monthly workshop in addition to the monthly meeting. I'm getting ready to join another guild which meets on a different day of the week in the next town over.

Yes, I love my quilt guild, I have learned so much from the guild,

Why not organize a guild for other like yourself? Ibet it would be a hit. I live in a small town and belong to a guild. We have 20-25 members. We have 1 male. The size of our guild is good for working together and sharing.

I joined one about three months ago. I like the monthly speakers and the BOM, but I haven't found the people to be particularly friendly or inclusive. For example, they put together kits for a quilt to raffle at a quilt show. When we first talked about it, people were going to be invited to get involved by taking a kit for a section of the quilt. When the kits were put together, they were handed out only to a certain few, obviously pre-picked. As for the rest of us, we weren't invited.

I wondered if it was just me thinking they weren't very friendly, but at a class yesterday two women were talking about a guild they no longer went to because the people weren't very friendly. I asked them if it was the guild in "X" city. It was!! Glad to know it wasn't just me.