They are the few and far between - the rare birds in America who rise above the apathy and care enough to sit through dry, seemingly endless government meetings.

They sit through conversations about claims, bids, contracts, sewers, grants and inconsequential personnel matters.

But those who have the time or desire to sit through the meetings do so because it is their right.

And to a certain degree, they like it.

For many, there is a specific reason, be it a proposal or a general concern. And occasionally, their attendance is the first step toward further involvement.

Take, for instance, Helen Hoy, the North Webster area woman who's attended Kosciusko County Commissioner meetings regularly for more than a year.

Hoy is concerned about the nation's moral character. When she's not busy tending to her home or practicing bell ringing with a group called the Ding-A-Lings, she's working to stem the tide of businesses like a topless bar in North Webster known as Stimmelators.

Her efforts began about five years ago when she helped organize a group opposed to the controversial club, and then took her concerns to county leaders.

Hoy and the state director of the American Families Association proposed a county-wide ordinance limiting sexually-oriented businesses.

At first, the proposal appeared to fall on deaf ears and wasn't discussed for several months. But after gentle prodding by Hoy, the county and several towns, including North Webster, approved the measure.

For at least six months, Hoy attended the commissioners' meetings without discussing the subject publicly. She became a regular attendee, and at Christmas even shared a coffee cake with officials and members of the media.

By watching quietly, she said, she learned how to maneuver a bit.

"I learned you don't always say what you want to during a meeting. You do it before and after," she said. "I've found out how to get things done. (But) sometimes it doesn't come out that way."

At many of the meetings, she's been the only person in the gallery without an item on the board's agenda.

For her and others, that's bothersome.

"Nobody seems to care what they're doing. If more people showed up, maybe they would respond better," she sid.

"It is a shame more people don't attend meetings," she said. "They're there for us."

Hoy said she doesn't grow bored at the meetings because some of the things she's familiar with are covered by the media.

She said she's happy the ordinance has been approved. If she was younger and lived within town limits, she'd run for council.

That transition from spectator to participant is apparently what's happening to Bruce Woodward. He began attending Warsaw City Council meetings about two years ago over concerns about how the city was cracking down on landlords who operate substandard housing.

Woodward manages a few dozen residential units in the city and was never the subject of any investigations, but started attending meetings to learn more about the issue.

On several occasions, he's spoken up on various topics, some of which directly affect him. That was the case two months ago when the city considered eliminating garbage collection for apartment buildings with three or more units.

Woodward was one of several landlords who spoke against the issue, saying in part that it was unfair. The proposal died.

Woodward, 42, said he doesn't consider himself a watchdog.

"I'm just an interested public citizen who wants to keep an eye on what's happening in our community," he said.

He now regularly attends meetings of city council and board of works.

"The board of works can be drudgery at times, but there's certain highlights that pop up," he said.

The most intriguing parts of some meetings often entail watching officials' reactions during the decision-making process. Small facial gestures sometimes say more than the votes the board casts, he said.

"Body language says a lot," he said.

But, Woodward added, "In my mind, the bulk of the meeting happens in the back room before it ever comes out to the public forum.

"Not all of it, but part of it," he said.

Woodward is openly talking about running for city council next year. No formal announcement has been made by Woodward, but plenty of people familiar with city government anticipate it.

His appearance at meetings isn't part of a campaign.

"That's not my reason for doing it, but it helps me familiarize myself with the meetings," he said.

That desire to run for public office hit Brent Wilcoxson after he attended town council meetings in Winona Lake for nearly a dozen years. He's now in the third year of his first term and serves as president of the council.

Wilcoxson said he chose to get more involved because he believed the town lacked an "identifiable direction."

Since being elected, Wilcoxson has grown a little frustrated at the way small town government works.

While public meetings and the democratic process provide lots of input, it isn't necessarily efficient.

"The wheels grind real slow," he said.

For Wilcoxson, the whole phenomenon of public participation has come full circle.

In the past year, a new group of town residents has begun regularly attending council meetings. Some have been outwardly critical about plans supported by Wilcoxson.

One of those vocal people, Barb Oakley, was recently appointed by Wilcoxson to serve on the publicity campaign for the Fourth of July celebration.

Oakley said she didn't think twice about accepting the appointment.

"If you're going to voice your opposition to things, you might as well be involved," Oakley said. [[In-content Ad]]