The term is fuddy duddy and the boards are usually older people because younger ones claim they are too busy. 

Serving on a board is thankless, but someone has to do it. It's like running any business: you prioritize and budget for the myriad needs and hope that you don't have too many deadbeats who slack on their dues. You scramble when the concrete needs replacing, the roofs have hail damage, and an underground water valve fails.

BTW, most HOAs have rules about political and other advertising signs. No one should be surprised by consequences when they flout the rules.