I'm not an officer either ;)
SA is easier to understand if you realise it was the only Australian guild on prexus. As a result the guild has a wide diversity of playstyles from serious power gamers to relatively casual gamers. So while SA has a lot of mature and skilled people we raid somewhat casually, two raids a week (in EQ, prob. here too) and no visible merit to reduce loot whining. This pace worked out pretty well in not running out of content too. It's also possible it kept the powergamers from burning out.
SA has an impressively stable membership, lots of people who have been in the guild for years and years, many have met in real life and most realise the people you game with are more important than the virtual property you build up in playing it.
