ManiacQuilter2

Same reason I don't go to the guild anymore. I have daytime groups I have joined instead.

Onebyone

I belong to two guilds. One is a small one that I didn't like how it was so I ran for President and won. I was President for two years and have held every office in the guild and up to be President again this next year. So if you don't like the way the guild is, get involved and change it. I slowly changed the guild to be a more welcoming and more doing and less business and gripes. I even had a vote to change the by laws and it passed. The other guild is very large and I go to that for the programs and workshops.

Sandygirl

I belong to 2 Guilds. One (local) meets every month...the other is a regional guild that meets 5 times per year. My local guild is not large (40 or so members), has a strong push for charitable sewing, no interest in putting on quilt shows that take up lots of time and energy. Not to mention that we do not have the numbers for volunteers. We do exhibit at the local county fair and other local venues. No stress here! Voluntary participation! Great group of ladies with all levels of talent and knowledge. Beginners to advanced.

Sandy

Sewnoma

I belong to one of the two guilds in my city; we have a "day guild" and an "evening guild"; I am at work during the day guild meeting times so I joined the evening guild. I think there are a lot of people who are in both.

I don't go to a lot of guild meetings though, and it's not because of the guild at all, it's just because I'm tired! I work very early, and the meetings tend to run pretty late. By the time the meeting is started I'm in wind-down mode for the evening and so I almost never go to the meetings.

When I do go I always have fun, people are very friendly there and I haven't sensed a lot of drama. I don't go often enough to really make any friends but I never seem to have trouble finding someone to chat with when I'm there. I always leave in a really good mood. But getting myself up and going again in the late evening is not easy, it's too easy to just decide to skip another meeting. I wish it worked out that I could go there straight from work when I'm still alert and bushy-tailed, I'd never miss a meeting if that were the case!

Dues are coming due for renewal again soon. I will re-up, even though I think I only have attended maybe 4 meetings in the last 10 months or so (they're 2x a month so I missed a LOT). I like supporting the guild and reading the newsletters and having the guild available to me, even if I'm not the most regular attendee at the meetings. And I like knowing enough of the ladies that I recognize some names and faces at the annual quilt show. It's coming up next month and that is something I do NOT miss!

Sandygirl

Excellent advice! Get involved!

Also, Some of us are tired of "leading". Next!
sandy

tessagin

Went to join couple guilds and the reception, awkward and rude sent me out the door 20 minutes after I got there. The second one had an orientation. You had to present a completed quilt by a certain date. Your skills depended on you being voted into the guild. Forget that, I am not a perfectionist by any means and I do things at my own pace.

dunster

I'm in the process of moving from one state to another, so I have had to leave the 3 guilds that I belonged to. They were like Goldilocks' 3 chairs- one large, one small, and one medium-sized, but each had something wonderful to offer. I miss the activities and the people in those guilds. As soon as I am settled I will look for one or more guilds to join. I hope that I can find the 3 chairs again. It's nice to be in a small guild where everyone knows you, but also good to be in a large one that can afford to bring in top-notch teachers.

Onebyone

Oh good grief, I would have laughed my head off if I was told to bring a quilt to be inspected for membership. What a bunch of old crows! Knowing me I would have bought a beautiful quilt and presented that one. Once in, watch out. LOL It would be fun to find out just how good these 'experts' were.

mckwilter

Be sure and tell someone (one of the officers or the Membership person) why you are quitting. It is so frustrating to have someone quit and not know why. Of course, if they are part of the problem, it won't help.

mckwilter

My first reaction was "You've got to be kidding!", but of course you weren't. I would have brought in the quilt I won from one of the local guilds, which has PP American Beauty blocks, pieced spacer blocks and a beautiful needle-turned appliqued floral border. The LA stitching on the quilt is exquisite. Then, when they "accepted" me as a member, I would have spit in their faces. Quilting is something you do for the love of the craft. If I wanted my quilts to be judged, I'd enter them in quilt shows.

I belong to one older, established quilt guild which has the funds to bring in nationally known teachers. They are very clique-ish. I tried getting involved, served on the Board, helped with activities, but was still an "outsider". I decided to go when the speakers interested me and forget the rest. The second guild is a smaller guild. I am a founding member and we just celebrated our 5th birthday. We have less than 100 members, and I am on the Board (for the second time). I make it a point to greet visitors if they arrive alone and to walk them through all the activities (Strip Club, Lottery Block, Raffle, Show & Tell). So far, we have avoided cliques.