Ye it is strange. I am part of a HOA. Six houses, and all we do is maintain the fresh water pump, the gravel road, one lamp post, and we have one party a year. It would be absurd if we somehow agreed to let the HOA set rules for whatever.

Oh. Any change to the by-law need to be unanimous.

The "it wont happen to me" mentality is poisonous. Read the rules. If they are absurd, the HOA is run by insane people.