How does your guild welcome new members?
 

Hello everyone,
Was wondering what your guild does to welcome new members?
Im looking for ideas. I've heard some guilds provide a 'welcome kit'.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Thank you!

We introduce the new member at the first meeting. Their name tag has a smiley for the first year. This way, it can be a conversation starter. Our guild is very friendly.

We have a greeter at the front, and she makes sure that someone takes the new person around to all the various "stations" where things are going on, introduces them, and explains what is done there. (The stations are for Block of the Month, animal rescue quilts, Opportunity quilt (raffle quilt), philanthropy, a special veterans assistance project, fabric swap, etc.) We also have a "welcome brunch" once a year for all the new members. They, the guild officers, and any member who wishes to attend are invited.

I went to one guild meeting. Walked in and no one greeted me or anything. I found a place to sit and a couple of folks near me said "hello" but that was it. They were too busy visiting with their friends. I enjoyed the presentation, but wasn't comfortable going back. No one asked me if I wanted more information or even my name. I felt invisible.

So... as a failed new member, I'd say please greet new people and tell them a bit about the organization. A welcome packet would be nice, but just acknowledging the fact they are there is important. Had someone done that for me I may well have become a contributing member -- and I don't just mean paying dues.

i'm sorry that this happened to you. did you send them feedback? if they acknowledge the shortcoming, perhaps you will give them another chance. guilds are a great support group for quilters.

One of my previous guilds put a special ribbon on the new people's nametag for a year like the smiley face idea posted above.
Some guilds can be very hard to "break into". When we knew we were moving after I retired, I paid very close attention to how new people conducted themselves at my old guild's meetings. Sometimes (rarely), some people came in like gangbusters before they scoped out the lay of the land so to speak. One woman kept talking about how she would be delighted to long arm for everyone and without realizing it, stepped on the toes of the other long armers already in our guild. She did make some friends but also turned off some people because she came on so strong. So, sometimes, it isn't always the fault of the other members.
When I moved and tried out a new guild, I listened and watched a lot. I volunteered for the quilt shows and some other tasks. People learned that I was a hard worker and got to know my personality. I've met some really kind and creative people. I also try to be welcoming to any new members I see at meetings.

We have a membership chair who sits by the door with information. All members and guests sign in each meeting along with sign up for show and tell. As a part of the meeting guests are introduced. They stand up to be recognized and tell a little about themselves. Once they join their contact information is put in the monthly newsletter so members can update their roster. They get a welcome packet that has a roster with pictures of current members, explanations of the regular things we do/donations we make etc. and a copy of the bylaws. Once a year we have a new member luncheon. We also have current members who act as a buddy for the new member until they get acclimated.

This was my experience with a Guild also. The members were not friendly until it came time for new officers and then they needed new members to take over. I do not belong to a Guild.

I haven't visited any guilds, but sought out a charity work day to finish quilts for a local group. Took one of my daughters along. I bound 3 quilts, she tied several. I tried to make conversation with the ladies around me, but they were very clique-ish. I approached the woman in charge (that I had emailed previously for more info)
I introduced myself..she said "thanks for coming", then immediately turned to her friend to chat. Not very welcoming, and it's not worth the 30+ minute drive to be ignored. I would have been a hard working, contributor....

I am always surprised by people who are negative on guilds. It's a group, and I am not a celebrity. I have no expectation that people will notice me or make much of my presence. I am an introvert and if you visit my guild, I will be polite, and helpful, but usually I have a job to be doing before the meeting starts and I will be focused on that. Once the meeting starts I am focused on the announcements, business, and speakers.

I wonder if some people think of guilds as a church that really wants fellowship and new members. I think of them more as something like this forum. I found Quilting Board Forum years ago and I peeked and visited some time before I joined and there was some time before I posted. There are only some of the sections I read regularly. I'm here because I love quilting. I don't care if you become my buddy. Though if I want to make new friends I join one of the small bees in a guild and it has worked every time, though it takes attending a few times for friendship to form.

It's not about being a celebrity, but I think people are important. A new person feels out of place, a little unsure of what to expect, etc. It's nice to notice someone new and make them feel a little more at ease in an unfamiliar situation.

I don't belong to a guild. I think for me it's just too large. I would like it if it were smaller maybe.

My preference would be for a small group of friends who get together to see and enjoy each other without meetings, bylaws, or officers...anybody in Arizona game?:p

Perhaps people who visit a guild should see it as a public lecture and take responsibility for their own engagement.

I have a prejudice against people posting about "one time, in my 50, 60 years of life, I went somewhere and I was basically ignored!" every time someone posts about guilds here.

I have belong to three different guilds since 2003-only changing when I moved to a new area. All 3 of those guilds had a membership table to sign in at when you enter. Visitors are greeted and given a door prize ticket. 2 of those guilds announce the number and name of visitors and new members when the Membership people give a report during the business portion of the meeting. At different times the guilds have tried more "outreach" to the visitors. We have a brochure about the guild sitting right there at the table as you enter. There is a beekeeper who will help you find a small group to join at the two Texas guilds I have belonged to.

So, what exactly do you expect when you visit my group? Am I supposed to question you at length about your background what kind of quilting you like etc? Am I supposed to know whether you are a person who can find their own seat or must I hover over you and escort you to an area?

Rest assured that questions get answered and we have friendly people at the membership table! But there are only two people there. At my table which anyone can bravely walk up to at their own I am showing samples of workshops and signing people up for workshops and keeping track of the paperwork and money. Those people you see at the guild as you walk in are volunteers. We are supporting the guild, we aren't trying to sell you something.

So my take:

Guilds - opportunity to meet people, listen to interesting speakers, take classes, do community service

Small groups or bees in guilds - opportunity to engage in conversations, work on projects together or separately. May have to try more than one group before one clicks. Good friendships possibilities.

Guild sew days - some conversation but may not be as good a possibility for friendships forming unless you attend multiple times.

I wouldn't want to be part of a guild that wasn't friendly and would have no problem saying goodbye to a group that didn't seem interested in welcoming me as a member.

I suppose some of these groups don't actually want new members? Sad to read that many have had bad experiences...

That's exactly what I'm looking for. Too bad you're a bit far away :D

Hi there, I visited the guild that I was interested in they charged $5 for visit they met once a month and if you become a member they take the visit fee off membership. So during the meeting they asked were their any visitors stand give your name, and everyone welcome you the meeting. I did join membership fee was $35; I received membership card and package with committees and upcoming social community events. We also have facebook page for members. Hope this helps.

Wow You nailed it. I kind of appreciate to be left alone until I know the lay of the land. Too much to comprehend and I appreciate going at my own pace. Guilds have to click at a fairly fast pace to get everything accomplished in a very limited time. I also made my friends through the small bees through the Guild. And what great friends they have become. Quilters around here are definitely not known to be snooty.

I had joined a guild more than a dozen years ago; I was very active in the monthly charity sewing group. I met a few lovely people, but most of the group was very clique-ish and didn't even say hello if you sat next to them. I quit.

Recently, I rejoined the same group -- and wow, was the culture different. I was taken to meet the membership chairperson, the "resident" long armer, and had several things explained to me. I had very pleasant conversations with the people I sat next to and, when I brought a quilt to "show and tell" at my second meeting, I had fun discussing it with various members. I do not hold other responsible for me, but I do appreciate it when someone acknowledges your presence when you are new.

Peggy, thankfully gave my answer to this question. I offen think people who come to our meetings are looking for a church atmosphere. We are very much like a class in high school, bell will ring and you have 5 minutes to get to the next class. Time is a premium, need to touch with my committee group, them help set up the library's table, sign up for the weekend retreat, turn in choices donations, turn in blocks for current group quilt and greet new comers. Oh, and people i haven't seen for awhile only to find surgery happened, new job, retired, accident, husband died, etc. If new comers want to get acquainted, please be patient and come to a retreat or service day, that's when we have more time.

another thought I've had... to engage with others at the meetings, visit the 'free' table, the library, or the community service table. when you notice someone 'handling' or turning in something that meets with your style, it's a great time to engage with them. also, sign up for a class... lots of interaction there.

Out guild has guests sign-in on a separate sheet and introduce them during the meeting letting them tell a little bit about themselves and how long they have been quilting. We also give them 5-6 used quilt magazines that we collect from members.

We have guests sign in and introduce them at the meeting; new members are introduced if they come in during the year--we do beginner classes which draw in many of the new members as a larger group (25-30) so we don't introduce each of hem separately.

Ours is a large group, but I feel that the culture of the guild is set by the leadership--and expect that we are all being friendly and inclusive. As one of the teachers in the beginner class, I stress that our mentors are right there with the beginner and not hanging with friends chatting--we also have potlucks and again, make an effort to "mix-it up" at the seating. You can do that so many different way--giving everyone a color paper as they enter, having a post meal activity that moves people around, etc.

Pagzz--I am a big believer that everyone that joins a group needs to put some effort into joining in, but the culture of the guild can either make that easy or not.

Excellent! My take on this is that we are adults. We should have the skills to introduce ourselves to others. Say the phrase.."this is my first visit".... people are willing to introduce visitors to others. Bring a project for Show & Tell. That is a great ice breaker! Usually a "guest" arrives with a guild member. The guest is introduced by their friend at the beginning of the meeting which is how my Guild operates. My fav guild is our local one. 45 members tops. And to this day...I cannot rattle off everyones' name...no one can. No one gets "offended" to my knowledge. We greet each other in the grocery store etc. So we do recognize each other.

Show up, introduce yourself, extend your hand and show some projects. Have a special talent for a technique? Or other craft you love to do? Bring it up!

sandy

In a town we lived in previously I used to go to guild meetings over a period of 3-4 years until we moved. They had greeters at the door, and we'd sign in and everyone would wear name tags. Every member received a member list with phone numbers. They had an orientation for new members, held in one member's home, that was informative and very friendly.

This was a large guild. Most of the members were as friendly as could be at every encounter. Still, I found - even after going for a few years - that I'd occasionally wander in at the last minute and have trouble finding a place to sit because there tended to be some pretty cliquish groups that would always sit at the same tables and save seats for their friends. Our leadership actively encouraged us to mix by sitting at different tables each time, but that didn't seem to work out very well. We were at the point of outgrowing the venue where meetings were held, so that was part of it: seating was limited. Sometimes if I did manage to find a seat among some group where everyone was close friends except me, my attempts to get to know them seemed to be an intrusion on their private conversations. I just want to say that in no way did that less-than-welcoming behavior represent the guild as a whole, and, Belfrybat, maybe you just happened to get in with the worst example of that within a group that overall might have been just great. It's a pity that not everyone sees every new face as a potential friend, but maybe you would have an entirely different experience on another day.

Quilters are possibly more likely to be introverted than the average person on the street. It's just that this sort of hobby is well suited for people who tolerate their own company for hours at a time, and although we introverts - contrary to popular notions - are not unfriendly loners by nature, many of us are a little more socially awkward, shy, or just not forward enough to put out the figurative welcome mat immediately when we meet someone new. We may be too caught up in our own shyness to realize that the newcomer may also be shy. Many of us really don't enjoy going to meetings with large groups of strangers, but will do much better in a small bee with people interacting on specific projects.

Maybe the way to approach this would be to sign up for a class or retreat, which you should be able to find via a local shop. It's just easier to get to know people in smaller groups. People there will be likely to be involved with the guild, and if you feel you know someone when you go to the guild the next time, you may be more comfortable. Then as a member you can help them work toward creating a procedure for the guild to welcome new people.

I forgot to mention that our guild meetings were preceded by a period specifically set aside for socializing. In general it promoted a more welcoming atmosphere for new people than if we'd immediately started the minutes and program.

Our guild asks if there are any visitors or new members. Those individuals then tell us about themselves. Many of us do sit at the same table to visit but that is because it is the only times we see each other! We always make room at the table for anyone wants to join us. A bunch of us go out to lunch afterward and anyone is welcome.

I recently joined a small guild (less than 25 people). I had read their Facebook page and talked to someone on the phone before my first meeting. When I arrived they were setting up tables and chairs. Someone said "grab the other end of this table". People introduced them self as I helped with the set up. A person who had been new the past month invited me to sit next to her. The person I had talked to on the phone introduced me to the group when the meeting started. They both whispered things to me during the meeting to let me know what was being talked about. Other ladies also walked up to me and welcomed me. I was given an introduction packet. I felt I was welcomed to the group. I heard some about the retreat they had just had the weekend before.

I think guild websites are good source of information and perhaps can prepare someone who is uncomfortable in a new situation. I think this is an excellent example from Quilter's Guild of Dallas. I am not a member, but was checking their website because I want to hear tonight's speaker.

http://quiltersguildofdallas.org/meeting_information

our guild is very big so we all wear name tags. A new person is welcomed with applause and wears a name tag. A new member is hooked up with a "old member" as a mentor to help answer any questions. Also find out any special interests and introduce her to someone who shares the interest.

Also our member booklet has a picture of each member. This is very helpful to me because I am only there half the year and forget names.

Mim

Shame on any group that is clannish and cold shoulders