I do not like reminiscing about the old days; that immediately marks you as entering your dotage. However, in these days when organizations don’t bother much about accountability for money in their care, I cannot resist telling the story of Edgar Readwin, excellent tennis player and also Treasurer of the Lawn Tennis Association in the 1950s.
Edgar Readwin used to set aside New Year’s day for completing the Lawn Tennis Association’s accounts for the previous year and on January 2nd had the accounts prepared and typed ready for auditing. He would then harass the auditors to examine the Association’s books urgently so that he could circulate to all members the audited accounts of the Association for the previous year by the end of the first week of the new year.
A trifle obsessive, I admit, but indicative of an attitude which is important in any society:
