New Member Loudon McAndrew

We are very pleased to welcome our newest member, Loudon McAndrew, to the club. Following his academic studies in accountancy at Glasgow University, and after a few years working with Larkhall Machine Tool Co. (a former subsidiary of Rolls Royce), Loudon joined the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society (SCWS) where he served as Financial Controller to a number of independent Societies. When the S.C.W.S. merged with the C.W.S. in Manchester, he was appointed senior project accountant with complete responsibility for all financial matters relating to the integration of many independent societies into the parent body. During this period he spent a number of years working in Northern Ireland to supervise the integration of that country’s business. Altogether he worked with the C.W.S for nearly thirty years before taking early retirement.

Loudon is a keen environmentalist and, during his working life, volunteered mainly as a warden with the R.S.P.B., on working parties and survey work at Insh Marshes, Handa Island and Lochwinnoch Nature Reserves. Since retirement he has been one-time treasurer of the C.W.S. Brass Band and director of the Glasgow Centre of Therapy and Counselling Studies. He has also been a member of the National Trust and Greenpeace for many years, played bridge at County Level, and is a keen cricket supporter. Currently, he sits on the committee of Ayr Town Twinning, is co- ordinator for the Local History Group of the Ayr Branch of the University of the Third Age, a member of Ayr Film Society and a member of Glasgow Royal Philosophical Society. Together with his wife Barbara (a retired primary school head teacher) he is a member of Lifelines, an organisation which offers friendship and support through letter writing to prisoners on Death Row in U.S.A. prisons.

Within Rotary, Loudon hopes to make new friends and acquaintances and to develop fresh interests. In return, he considers that his business experience and leisure interests should be of benefit to both club and community.