Quilt guild???
 

I was contemplating becoming a member of the local quilt guild. Three weeks ago I sent them an e-mail as well as application and membership payment by snail mail. I heard nothing from them. Don't get me wrong, QB is great, but I would like to be a part of guild as well since no one I know quilts. Today is their meeting. What do I do? Can I just show up? I hope there are some experienced guild members here that can tell me if that would be OK. I am a patient person, but three weeks is a long time not to reply to an e-mail. What do you think?

Yes, I would just show up telling them you sent in your money but haven't received a response yet. You'll get a feel for how "welcoming" they are by their response.

Go to the meeting!! They will welcome you. Find out who the membership person is and introduce yourself.

I also emailed our local guild, and received no reply. I think it is rude.

For sure go!
I've learned to not trust e-mail arriving & snail mail. Too many ways stuff can get lost.
You can introduce yourself and explain how you've gone through all the proper channels and have received no response. Bet there's a good excuse.

The LIQS? Just go.

Did the check clear?
They'll probably have your card,etc. waiting for you at the meeting.

No, the check did not clear. I have just done checking my bank account. I will go tonight and see what happens. If they are nice, great. If not, well there are other guilds around that I can check out. This one was so conveniently close and I heard good things about it on the last shop hop.

Definitely go for it Tashana. I can only speak from personal experience, but I know our guild WELCOMES visitors and well as new members. I'll bet they'll have your membership ready and waiting for you when you arrive, and if not, you can investigate what might have gone astray and get it straightened out easily.

Definitely go to the meeting, and I expect that you will be greeted warmly. Lots of things can happen to guild mail. Ours goes to a post office box, and at times it hasn't been picked up on a regular basis. Many web sites (including those trying to sell things) list email addresses that no one checks. Not hearing from them is not the same thing as being intentionally ignored.

The email could have went to the spam folder and they accidentally deleted it.

By all means, go! Most guilds let you attend one meeting as a guest anyway, and since you've already sent in your dues, you're officially a member, although they're probably holding the check until you've been to your first meeting.
Make sure you talk to the membership person when you arrive.

I would go..at least this way you will get to see what they are like!! Also gives you time to cancel your check if you don't like them!!:confused:

You'd be surprised at the number of people that don't check their emails but once in a while. Plus they may have recently changed officers and your stuff hasn't gotten to the right person yet. Just go.

Also, Take a project or two for show & tell! That is an ice breaker and you will feel comfortable and welcome by doing so. Have fun!

Sandyn

I know our guild has a PO Box that only gets checked once a month (day before the meeting) - this might explain the delay.

Excellent suggestion!

Guilds are fully manned by volunteers, some more tech savvy than others. We are in transition in both guilds from one set of officers to another and even membership is in transition. Please do not expect them to be as organized as a business and show some patience with your potential fellow guild members.

I have never joined without going to one or a couple of meetings as a guest to see how the "flow" feels and whether the group does the kinds of things i am interested in. I am now the logo chairperson in one and hospitality in another. Working my way up from the bottom.

Go to the meeting
Most Guilds get their mail through a P.O. box and it's not usually picked up regularly

Give it 2 or 3 shots before giving up on it.
I went to a Guild mtg when I first moved to NH - no one was friendly, but I kept going because I was new to NH and knew not a soul. At least here there were faces that began to look familiar and I got to be inspired and motivated by seeing the work of others.
Gals began talking to me after a couple of meetings and I have made several serious life-long friends.
I even went on to be President of the Guild for 6 years.

I would say go a few times as a guest and try not to judge the whole guild just from one meeting. I did not feel very welcome to my guild for a while...probably just depends on who you meet.

Go to the meeting. Likely the person who is responsible for memberships was sick, or out of town, or just let things go. The guild will work it out for you.

I also say go.....remember that the guild member who is accepting membership is just a regular person like you....probably juggling a full time job and the treasurer's job. My guild has a mailbox that is only checked on a bi-weekly basis.....so the check and membership could still be in the box. My experience is that the box will probably be checked about a week before the meeting so that the board member could be up on what's happening. I love my guild and think you will too.

By all means, go! I couldn't imagine a a quilt guild that wouldn't welcome you. (I can also tell you that the workers in the guild are just quilters, not paid employees. They like to quilt-- so they may not be checking their email -- or their post office box -- daily (or even weekly). Once they do check, they may have to forward it...

Go, be friendly and I suspect you'll find friendship and inspiration in the guild.

Thank you very much for all your replies. I will go tonight to the meeting. I met two people from the guild, both in fabric stores locally. They seem very nice. I will post what happens.

GO!! You should be welcomed with open arms! You will never know if you will like it or not untill you try it. My guild only meets once a month. It is a 2 hr drive for me one way, but I go make a day of it so thats OK you will learn a lot and truly enjoy the companionship of other quilters who "Get You" lots of advise, when you ask. It suprised me when I realised I knew a lot already! LOL

Quilters, as a general rule, are warm and welcoming. I am president of our guild. My guess, is that it was just overlooked. Most members are working women, have families or just plain busy quilting, so an oversight can easily happen. Show up, if they don't put out the "Welcome Wagon" consider it a sign and move on.

By all means go and please share your experience with it. I belonged to three quilt guilds at one time, finally dropped out of the one for many reasons, but I love the two I am in now. It is true that they are manned by volunteers who have other day jobs be it stay at home mom or working outside of the home. I am actually treasurer of a new guild we just started a few months ago and we are still working out all the kinks. But I love going and getting inspired! Plus depending on how much the dues are were else can you get a couple of hours of entertainement for so cheap!

I hope you went!. I joined a guild over a year ago. Just jump in and make yourself welcome. Most of the people are very welcoming.

If your talking about Smithtown Stitchers, just go to the meeting. They probably didn't pick up the mail yet and the person who got the email might not be the same person, who goes to the PO Box. I was a member for about 15 yrs. from 1992. Like you I had no friends who quilted, so I joined. Back then I found it kind of clicky. For the first 2 or 3 yrs. I went monthly and sat by myself. I'm a very friendly person, I always offered to help, smiled and said hello. It took many years to feel like I belonged. I hope things have changed, since then. It's nice to have like minded "friends" to hang out with and learn from. I learned alot from the Guild, the alway had BOM, a donation quilt or the show quilt to learn from. Where do you live? I'm in Yaphank over by South Haven Park. It's always nice to meet new quilters. ;->

By all means go and tell them you sent your $. Someone already said ... they may not have picked up their mail yet. My guild has POB and our treasurer picks up mail right before our meeting, so it may have been in their box awhile. Guild can provide many great learning experiences and new friends who will guide you into new experiences.

If you are fortunate enough to have a fairly large guild there will probably be many opportunities for small groups, outside speakers, trips to quilt shows ... the list is huge.

Hope you find a wonderful guild and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers.

Go and sample the "feel" of the group. Remember they are quilters and your check may just have been laid aside while the guild's treasurer is finishing just one more block! Also, whoever received your check may not have been the person who is authorized to handle the guild's checking account so it may have to travel through two or three quilting folk's hands. For this reason, I don't want to ever hold and office if I can avoid it. I'd rather be piecing!
But I love my guild members, they are so inspiring and encouraging.

Go to the meeting. I know the guild I belong to, the treasurer will put money, checks into the bank after the monthly meeting. They also collect the mail once a month from the po box. Go and introduce youself to the membership person. My first meeting I just intro myself and sat with a group of quilters that welcomed me. Before the meeting ended, the president and several members welcomed me and asked what I enjoyed quilting. Go, Go, Go.

If they meet monthly or bi-monthly they may have to give the check to the treasurer at the meeting and then she would deposit afterwards. I belonged to many fraternal organizations in Canada and many times it was up to six weeks for a cheque to clear. I have found this board more beneficial than my guild except for the Secret Sister aspect of the guild.

I agree, before we moved to this area I did the same thing and never heard a word...I went to a meeting along with a newly made quilting friend when I got here and have been a member ever since..I so look forward to the monthly meetings and love all the presenters and opportunity for classes etc.

Just go to the meeting. Once you pay your dues, you are a member. Some guilds have a place to sign in at a check-in table, and others do not. Just tell them you are a new member and sent your application in and dues a few weeks ago. If there is a check in, the person there can answer your questions. They will probably have your membership card there or will be giving it out when they give the membership directory out to members (directories are usually distributed after printing so it is usually October or November for guilds that membership renewal is in September). Whomever you sit near at the meeting can be a great help in making you familiar with guild activities, etc., including when membership cards are given out. I belong to a few guilds, and they do not contact the members after receiving the application and payment. So just go to the meeting.
Helen

Everyone who is an officer in a quilt guild is busy, busy, busy and while they ought to be doing their officer jobs, they probably also have families, jobs outside their homes, etc. And the one who is in the spot that should have answered you may be just plain incompetent. Whatever the reason, go to the meeting and try to use your inexhaustible supply of patience when you introduce yourself in person. froggyintexas

If it is like my local guild, the mail goes to a box that the VOLUNTEER Corresponding Secretary (who also works for a living) goes at most once a week to and gets the mail. Sorts it and gives the mail to the person it should go to. And, the membership stuff goes to another person. The members of the board see each other at the monthly meeting and at the Board meeting. GO to the meeting. ASK if they got your form and check. The leadership jobs are all volunteers who have lives and families and so you really need to give them a BREAK!

In the past, we have had issues with timely check deposits. I now pay in person in cash so I know they received the $$.

I can't wait to hear how it turned out...did you go??

Go to the meeting. Visitors are welcome. Maybe there will be a small group you can join to help meet some people.

Show up and introduce yourself. Find the secretary or learder of the guild and inquire about your membership and fee. Then enjoy yourself. I and many on the board are members of at least one quilt guild. I love the board but sometimes I just need a face-to-face quilter also.