The many town meetings held during May and June are a showcase for the hard work that’s carried out by volunteer boards and committees during the rest of the year. Citizen leadership looks wonderful — but often it becomes apparent that the same handful of citizens are doing all the heavy lifting for their fellow residents all the time.

Why do the same names and faces regularly appear to serve on committees and boards while others don’t?  Are there just some folks who are predisposed to enjoy leaving their warm homes on a dark, snowy February night to hear (ad nauseum) the detailed justification of departmental budgets?

Is anyone really so desperately lonely that they would rather attend a meeting than settle down on the sofa with some popcorn and a good movie?

I don’t know what drives the folks who serve on our volunteer boards and committees to do so, but I think it’s time to thank them and say that we value their contributions. There’s always discussion at town meetings, but it doesn’t usually include a “thank you” to our friends and neighbors for their hard work.

Imagine what their time and effort would cost if the town actually had to pay for it. How many hours of work — negotiating, communicating, fact finding — go into these hours regularly offered up to help their fellow residents?

If six members of a budget committee volunteer to meet each week for three hours during the winter, they’ve given up a total of 270 hours that could have been spent with their families in order to help their fellow residents. And without being paid for their time and effort.

So let’s hear it for those committee members, the people who get ‘er done because the rest of us don’t or won’t.

Better yet, let’s start volunteering for committees so we can help them carry the weight for a while.