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EDEN — Ever thought about what life would be like without city government? Perhaps you wondered if we could get along without police, water, sewer and transportation services? What about no leaf pickup in the fall?

Fourteen people just graduated from the City of Eden Citizen’s Academy, where they spent two hours each Thursday night from Sept. 1 through graduation on Nov. 10 learning about what city government really does and how each department works to deliver the services we can’t do without.

Mayor John Grogan, who got the idea after reading about a similar program in California, said the academy has been a “win-win situation” for every one — the participants and the city of Eden. This was the first year for the academy, but another class is being considered for next year.

The participants were a diverse group: Gloria and Duane Best, Vonda Higgs, Sylvia Grogan, Carol Gwynn, Sam W. Smith Jr., Esther Artis, Sherry Garrett, Jean Ann Woods, Faye Doe-Alexander, Sharon Brown, Jeff Parris, Bill Griffin and Mark Hatchett. They applied for the free program on the city’s website.

“I wanted to know more about the various departments and the city staff,” said Gwynn, one of the few Eden natives in the group and a member of the All-American City Committee. “The classes were very educational, and I was most impressed with the dedication and pride of the presenters who were department managers and other city employees. I was astounded that I didn’t know about things we take for granted, whether it be the water coming out of the faucet or the water going down the toilet.”

Gwynn particularly enjoyed the field trips to various departments. Rain washed out the planned tour of Freedom Park, but the group still was able to learn about the park from speakers.

City Clerk Sheralene Thompson organized and directed plans for the academy. She compiled a notebook for each member that included the history of Eden and sections for each city department: water and wastewater, parks and recreation, fire, police, public works and engineering, planning, zoning and inspections, and tourism and economics. On Thursday nights, each department head and the employees explained the functions they perform for the city and answered questions.

After each class, the members filled out a form evaluating the presentation. Thompson was pleased to report that there were no negative evaluations.

Fun was on the agenda, too. Grogan handed out gift bags, and a meal was served each night. On graduation night, each member received a certificate.

The city of Eden’s staff enjoyed showing off the features of their respective departments.

“We all had a great time interacting with civic-minded people,” police Chief Reece Pyrtle said. “The academy was a great opportunity to explain some of what we do, as well as showing equipment that would be new to the class.”

Kelly Stultz and Debbie Galloway of the Planning, Zoning and Inspections Department thought the class learned a lot from the presentations. “There are often misconceptions about what the city does, which are natural concerns, but after the program, members will know who to go to for help,” Galloway said.

According to the Institute of Government, citizen academies in North Carolina are conducted by cities to educate citizens on how to become better involved in their cities. Hopefully, the result will be better-informed citizens who will volunteer to serve on various community committees and will pass along to others what they have learned.

The city will consider planning another class for next year. Interested citizens can learn more about the program on the city’s website or by calling 623-2110.

An Eden native, Rachel Wright is retired as a teacher at Morehead High School and an instructor at Rockingham Community College.