When I've lived in suburban areas with detached family houses, I also found the homeowners' associations somewhat useless and didn't go to any meetings. But I've found them more useful in apartment and condo buildings, where a pleasant living experience usually requires a bit more cooperation. That seems to be a common view, since attendance is a lot better at tenant/resident-association meetings in buildings, than at any suburban homeowner's association I've seen.

Yeah, I could easily believe that; when you share a wall, your neighbors' behavior matters a lot more than when you have an air gap and good soundproofing. (One of many reasons I prefer the suburbs.)