I appreciate the offers of use of personal protection regions, but have decided that land-claiming a Hamlet is the way to go.
Guild members who do not have a town can join Freyrham. This will give them the benefits of town membership, and will allow them to take on some of the administrative responsibilities of the Guild more easily.
Guild members who are NOT a member of the town will still be treated like town members to the greatest extent practical. Freyrham is intended to be a gathering place and HQ for the Guild. The 400c/week maintenance fee is not onerous, and the benefits of a full Hamlet are worth it in the long run.
We still need to garner that 5000c land-claim fee, though!