\ members
President’s diary
March, April and May have been extremely busy. I have been
to many regions, chaired a Council meeting and supported our
Caroline Mawhood with Kenneth Hlasa – Former
international strategy in Lesotho and South Africa.
Accountant General of the Government of Lesotho
I
w

as delighted to host the past presidents’ dinner on 1 April especially pleased to address the conference delegates and
in honour of Caroline Gardner who stepped down from also to pick up on the issues raised by the Deputy Information
Council last year. This is always a lively occasion and once Commissioner and the implications of data security for the
again we had an excellent attendance. It was very pleasing auditor. The conference dinner, held in the Royal Armouries
to see so many of our past presidents and to hear about their in Leeds, was a fun occasion. We were treated to a display
activities and their views on current issues. We started with the of armour – I was amazed at how flexible one could be
usual photo followed by an excellent dinner and then I said when wrapped in metal! It also provided the venue for the
a few words about Caroline’s enormous contribution to the presentation of the Cliff Nicholson Award for audit and I was
Institute – she was, and of course still is, a star. delighted to present that to Kevin Thomas of the Wales Audit
The next day we were up bright and breezy so that we could Office.
complete Council business in time for the memorial service for Over the year I have had the opportunity to visit nearly all
Maurice Stonefrost, former CIPFA secretary and president. This our regions and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Europe
took place at St Martin-in-the-Fields which is a wonderful church and shortly Jersey; and to mix with the other professional
and a very fitting venue to celebrate Maurice’s life. The service institutes. I shall be going to Canada as part of our partnership
was extremely well attended with CIPFA well represented. There with CMA Canada and, also, Eastern Europe. I have also
were wonderful tributes to Maurice from his family and friends. represented CIPFA in countries where we are supporting
Noel Hepworth, former CIPFA chief executive, spoke warmly nascent professionalisation.
about his time working with Maurice, to which I added a few
words. After the service CIPFA hosted a reception which was a Supporting professionalisation in southern Africa
happy occasion and allowed old friends to meet and share their In March, with CIPFA’s International Director Caroline
many ‘Maurice stories’. It was lovely that we were all there to Rickatson, I visited southern Africa to discuss current and
honour Maurice’s remarkable life and career. potential projects with key senior public officials in the region.
The visit was part of CIPFA’s
Prizewinners overall strategy to encourage
Students have been an and support professionalism
important part of my activity in developing countries. It
this year. The prizewinners’ was also an opportunity for
lunch and presentation of me to meet CIPFA students
awards is always a special in Lesotho.
occasion – it is so good that Lesotho is a mountainous
families and employers come landlocked kingdom
to support the successful completely surrounded
students. In my speech I by South Africa. 45% of
stressed how proud we are its 2 million people are
of our prizewinners and how unemployed and 25%
they would contribute to infected by HIV and Aids. A
the future of CIPFA. In early poor country – it has little
May I attended the prize giving and awarding of certificates infrastructure and its economy depends largely on the export
at the CIPFA Education and Training Centre in Borough High of water (‘white gold’) to South Africa.
Street. In the same week I went to Glasgow for the AGM of our CIPFA is working with the Lesotho Centre for Accounting
Scotland branch where I presented certificates to 22 students Studies (CAS) and the Lesotho Institute of Accountants (LIA)
at the annual graduation ceremony in the magnificent to deliver the CIPFA International Certificate and Diploma
surroundings of Glasgow City Chambers. in Public Financial Management. The programme is part of
It was a real pleasure to attend the Audit Conference the Lesotho Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s
especially as my day job is working in external audit. I was Public Financial Management (PFM) Programme, supported by
8 CIPFA | Spreadsheet magazine | JUNE 2009
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