1985 School Magazine

Grammar Trading

"Grammar Trading" commenced business on 26th March this year, when thirty students from B.G.G.S. and B.G.S. met at A.M.P. Place in th e hope of, amongst other things, gaining experience of the world of work through participation in a Young Achievement Project. Those members from B.G .G .S. include: Lib Elms, Laura Everitt, Ainsley Flint, Susan Geddes, jane Gralton, Naomi Harvey, julya Kienzle, Cathy Leeds, Deirdra Leigh , Fiona Mainsbridge, Melissa Naughton, Cathy Peel, julya Wilkins and jane Woolrych. The company that so kindly sponsored us was The Port of Brisbane Authority, who offered us advice and guidance throughout the venture and without whom, I'm sure we certainly wouldn't have succeeded so well. After much deliberation over several points, we chose to produce T- Shirts. Choosing the product was probably our first taste of the frustrations of being part of a business organisation. When deciding on T-Shirts we had to take into account many factors which most of us have never considered, such as " Is it marketable?" - "Is it safe to produce?" - " How easy is it to manufacture?", and so on. Once we had selected the product, we could get on with the general running of the company itself, which proved to be more complicated than first expected. There were five departments - marketing, manufacturing, finance, company secretary and personnel. Each department was allotted a certain number of staff, and each assumed certain responsibili-ties, both to themselves and to the rest of the group. They were controlled by an elected officer, who worked in conjunction with fellow officers, and ultimately reported all activities to the Managing Director, who was the central figure in the organisation, and with whom all responsibility rested. Once we had manufactured our first run of printed shirts, we were faced with the massive task of having to sell them off, and initially it was in this area that we had the most problems. Many members had difficulties in making sales, and consequently the marketing department embarked on an ambitious advertising campaign, which proved to be extremely successful, both from the point of view of attracting several interested customers, and also as an interesting learning experience for many members. On 30th july, we held a stall in the foyer of the A.M.P. building and invited many important dignitaries to attend, such as the Minister of Youth, Mr Geoff Muntz, the Minister for Maritime Services, Mr Goleby, and several others. This event attracted much publicity for our group through Press and television coverage. We were also invited to appear on the television show " Living" on Channel 0 , when two members of our group were interviewed on the activities of "Grammar Trading", our aims, and the progress which we were making. When the company goes into voluntary liquidation in late October, I'm sure there will be sighs of relief all round, but there will also be the satisfaction of knowing that not only have we successfully completed our project, but also along th e way we have gained a useful reference for future employment. Most importantly though , we have acq uired valuable experience which can only be obtained through practical participation and "BE ING THERE".

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YOUNG ACHIEVEMENT What is it?

Young Achievement is a Business Simulation Activity, whereby students with the help of a sponsor company, establish a real business company and produce/market a product. Students elect a board of management, appoint executives, raise " share" capital, carry out market research , and sell the products. The programme is a part-time activity, running for two hours each week over the period March to October, after which it is formally " wound up" and the company dissolved . Young Achievers At B.G.G.S. This is the second year that Young Achievers has operated at Grammar- last year being a great success. Y.A. is open to Grade 11 Students, but unfortunately there is a restriction on numbers. At present there are 30 B.G .G.S. students and 30 B.G.S. students which make up two companies (15 girls and 15 boys to a company): "GRAMMAR TRADING" "CONCEPT '85 Y.A:' "Concept '85 Y.A!' The 30 participants who were successful in their applications to join the Y.A. venture, gathered on Tuesday 2 April, to meet the advisors from our sponsor company, David jones, Queen St. Over a period of about 28 weeks (March-September) with the guidance of the advisors, responsibilities associated with the formation of our company emerged. The product researched and manufactured was a Mung Bean Kit. This kit included: A 2.25 litre plastic storage jar, directions and 250 grams of beans. A price of $5.00 was determined for the selling price if we were to break even and return a profit to our shareholders. Through actual participation in a working company, we gained many insights and learned by our mistakes. It al~o provided a lesson in co-operation and team-work 1n reference to decision making, and understanding and appreciation of associating with our peers. The major lesson I personally learned from the Y.A. venture was that, to succeed, one must be organised and APPLICATION is essential. Teritia Hickey Managing Director 30 Thus "Concept '85 Y.A." was born. This goal being obtained, liquidation of our company proceeded.

. Deirdra Leigh Managing Director