Amid the sun, sand and waves on the Wailea Beach of Maui, something evil lurked last week at The Paragon Group's Volunteer Leadership Conference. It wasn't far below the serene and relaxed surface and without much effort it managed to swallow the ballroom whole. That beast was palpable in the air. That menace to credit unions is pure frustration.

Perhaps because volunteers are not always as attuned to industry politics as the professionals, unadulterated passion ruled the day. Attendees were spitting bullets and seemed ready to pummel various matters, and a few people, that got in the way of slaying the beast.

Students in the session regarding financial essentials for volunteers were riled at the very thought that the NCUA was requiring them to obtain basic understanding of credit union balance sheets. Attendees seemed in agreement that training was important, but to have the NCUA demand it raised their hackles. While the regulation and accompanying letter to federal credit unions outlined general duties of a director, there were no pop quizzes or testing involved as some had feared.