The firm’s traditions

from RSM Australia Celebrates 100 Years

A century in Australia, a new global name

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE FIRM’S TRADITIONS

Over its 70 year history, the firm has enjoyed outstanding stability. There have been only four chief executives in that time and no less than eighty-one persons have completed twenty-five years service.

The factors which have enabled the firm to avoid extreme peaks and troughs and sudden and frequent changes of policy and direction are many and varied. Some have been alluded to in these pages but a full explanation would require a separate study.

Any organisation which has been going for a long time, has enjoyed success and has been supported by a loyal and dedicated workforce must have developed traditions and such is the case with the firm. It is proposed to briefly describe in this chapter some of the longer-standing traditions. Not all have continued through to the present day because the traditions of even the most venerable and ancient institutions have to be altered or even abandoned as times and customs change.

In the 1930’s as accountants began to be stationed in country centres, a system of Weekly Letters was instituted. This involved the accountant in the country writing a basically personal letter to Cyril Bird in Perth office each week and CPB writing back in similar vein. Bearing in mind that the mail times each way could be two or three days this meant that if there was to be an “exchange” of correspondence within seven days, a very quick response was required.

After a time the frequency of the letters changed from weekly to fortnightly but even so the handling of such a big volume of mail was quite a task and eventually the job was spread among four senior men in the Perth office. While undoubtedly the frequent communication was of some value (especially in the earlier days when making a trunk call was considered an extravagance), there came a time when the tradition had outlived its usefulness and in November, 1972 it ceased and a “Fortnightly Newsletter” was introduced.

The Annual Conference, usually about June each year, is a long-standing tradition which goes back to at least the 1930’s. Apart from the important element of training and instruction the firm has always taken the opportunity, while all are in the city, to hold a number of social and sporting events.

An outstanding tradition has been the Rottnest Weekend which was instituted in 1951. Everyone has stories to tell about Rottnest. One early story concerns one of the firm’s accountants who messed up his hair and inserted orange peel teeth. Another accountant then took him around the men assembled at a barbecue on the beach and introduced him as a client. No-one recognised their colleague but then the moonlight can play strange tricks! As professional men they spoke courteously to the “client”. One accountant persuaded him to take on some special services.

In 1977 a number of rather large ladies from a suburban dart club happened to be at Rottnest over the firm’s weekend. The excitement of seeing so many handsome young men must have overcome them as they proceeded to embrace the young men with a grip so tight it took them several minutes to break free - and all this in public view at the hotel.

The Men’s Dinner was a tradition that lasted from the 1930’s to 1950. As explained elsewhere, it could probably be more accurately termed a dinner for the professional staff but at that time all the professional staff were men; hence the name.

This tradition did not die out altogether in 1950 because around November each year there is a Shareholder’s Dinner and for many years this also consisted wholly of men.

When the men’s dinner was abandoned after 1950, the Dinner Dance was instituted in 1951 (for a few years it was in the form of a cocktail party and ball). This tradition, which commenced in 1951, has always been a most popular event because it brings together not just the members of the firm but their partners as well.

Another tradition is the 25 Years’ Service Dinner. As explained in Chapter 6 this originated with a dinner tendered to Bill Keene on his retirement in

‘ Over its 70 year history, the firm has enjoyed outstanding stability. There have been only four chief executives in that time and no less than eighty-one persons have completed twenty-five years’ service. ’

1967. Approximately fourteen couples attended that first dinner and the numbers have remained at a surprisingly high level as new 25 year people come in to replace those who go out.

A Partner’s Weekend was instituted in 1976 to give partners the opportunity of getting away from the stresses and strains of the practice and meet in an environment conducive to determining strategy for the future and devising long-term plans. These weekends are conducted away from the city from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.

In earlier days after dinner speeches were very popular with some senior members of the firm and up to eight toasts and responses (sixteen speeches) have been scheduled for a men’s dinner. If everyone was a gifted and humorous speaker, this would have provided a great night’s entertainment but there were times when these speakers were encouraged by the lively diners present to sit down almost as soon as they had got to their feet.

Some suspected that the then managing partner, who considered the ability to speak well in public an important attribute, was merely using the occasion to appraise the oratorical ability of various persons.

Although omitted in some years, the Annual Golf Match has a tradition stretching back to at least the early post-war years. It was generally conducted as a city versus country competition but with prizes for the best three individual scores. After a time other sports were added to cater for nongolfers in the annual sports afternoon conducted in association with the Annual Conference.

Netball 1960’s

The firm has competed in the annual Tennis Tournament conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1976 and has had its share of successes.

An event of some significance for a few years was the Sunbird Ashes, a cricket competition between the firm and Sun Alliance Insurance.

The firm’s banking arrangements might also be called a “tradition”. At the first meeting of The National Service Company Limited on 16th December 1930 a resolution was passed to open an account with the Bank of Australasia in St Georges Terrace. There is reason to believe that this may have been the firm’s bank right back to 1922. Later an account was also opened with the English, Scottish and Australian Bank. Both these were antecedent banks of the ANZ Banking Group Ltd, the firm’s bankers today.

There are other traditions, more of an ethical or philosophical nature, covering such things as conduct and attitudes but they are not easy to put into words and in any case are perhaps best left to the judgement of people outside the firm.

Inaugural Chartered Institute Tennis tournament February 1976

From left: Laurie Eastwood, Alan Hicks, Michael Denny, Harry Spilsbury, Neville Harris. We came fourth

From left: Alan Hicks, Michael Denny, Harry Spilsbury, Russ Twogood (Institute Chairman), Andy Lange (Donator of shield), Laurie Eastwood (Absent). We won

Chartered Institute Tennis Tournament March 1977