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Show Page 4 UTAH FARM BUREAU Februar NEWS mmmmmsm jmurn - lEmmrn o 0 This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Junior Achievement, an organization giving high school students the opportunity to make the same kinds of decisions as made by bus- The program has been operating in Utah for the past fourteen years, but hasn't moved much beyond Salt Lake City because of funding problems. We feel it is an excellent program, well worth your atteniness executives. tion Editor. - The program started in a modest way during 1919 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The organizers felt that by bringing a number of school students together and helping them organize small companies which would operate just as big businesses do, it would help them learn many of the skills needed in the jobs they would soon hold. .Most of the 314 youngsters in the first program were boys, since boys were expected to go to work while most girls learned the domestic arts. Now both boys and girls learn together, since understanding the American free enterprise system is something both boys and girls need to achieve. "J. A. of teaches the economics the Free Enterprise System without lectures, but by personal experience. This understanding is something which wasn't greatly stressed in the early days since most people in 1919 had a keen appreciation of the need to work and of the fact that the individual's welfare depended that in greatly on the nation's economic health turn greatly depended on business. JA today holds no classes on economics, yet the practical experience of participating in the production and marketing of a product teaches the lesson in concrete terms without any need for lectures. Each company is organized by the youngsters and then dissolved at the end of the school year. The youngsters sell stock to reuse capital and go through most of the business techniques used by large corporatons, only on a smaller scale. Unique at its inception, Junior Achievement is still the only organization that helps young people discover for themselves the benefits of our economy and the rewards that come from individual and personal incentive. nd The NAM Helps Out The program was brought to New York City in 1929. A few years later, the organization expanded, and the age requirement - - until then eight to twelve years old - - was raised to 16. By 1938, wm t there were 50 Junior Achievement companies operating in New York. The program's national potential was seen by Charles R. Hook, then president of the Armco Steel Corporation and President of the National Association of Manufacturers. Under his guidance, a national program for Junior Achievement was planned and launched at a breakfast meeting held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This was, unfortunately, the Friday before that attack on Pearl Harbor and the next five years of J. A- expansion were greatly limited by World War II. After the war, a renewed expansion program got under way. - Sharing Views Junior Achievement gives a preview of career opportunities in business. It lets the youngster who may become a production worker share management's problems, while those destined for management share the perspective of the production worker. In 1946, Junior Achievement moved forward again and was operating in 12 cities. Today, the d experience in free organization is bringing to students school more than 400 in enterprise high communities in the United States and Canada. Junior Achievers gather once a week for two hours at a business center where their miniature factories are located. Three or four adults from counseling firms aid in methods of planning, production and marketing. Business seasons last from October until May. Hopefully, investors receive a dividend, as was the case in one recent year with eighty percent of the youthful companies. first-han- More Than IIOOTurned Away Last year the Utah Junior Achievement group had more than 1500 applications from interested youngsters, but could only accept 450 because of the limits placed on the program by available funds, Experiences Related A young woman, presently "While J. A. has trained many youngsters and done a great job, its future potential for defeating the "hippie" movement is spectacular if more support can be found." a college student, observes that "Junior Achievement helped me in my economic course. It also made me more responsible: I had to continue at the job and be responsible in order for our company to be successful." A serviceman says, " I was made president and became very quickly oriented to business structure and organization, of which I had no prior knowledge. I was responsible for the annual report, and this gave me an insight into profit and loss." And a man, now a business proprietor, relates, "I had felt that business was a giant too big for me. J. A brought business down to a fundamental level which I could understand." Although the student, "junior executives" make all final decisions on their own, considerable guid- - volunteer advisers and space. There are eighteen high schools participating in the program and, consequently, eighteen J.A companies. With additional support, J A companies could be formed in every high school in the state. A Variety Of Products The Utah J. A companies turn out a variety of products ranging from chalkboards more than 1500 applicants only 450 students could be ac- "Of cepted in the Utah J. A. to games. WENCO, sponsored by Western Electric produces a phone caddy. Their advisers are Milton H. Ashton, William J. Boots, Richard R. Furstenau and Laurence F. Skelton. CHAICO, sponsored by Chicago Bridge and Iron makes a game. The advisers are: Noel A Anderson, Clyde A Fornelius, James M Hearley and Anton P. Rezac. ance is necessary from the volunteer specialists in dministration and sales. produ Some 50,000 business firms throughout the country now support Junior Achievement. The organization has a big need for additional support to build new centers, enlarge present centers and buy new equipment so that more youngsters can be reached by the program. JEWELCO, sponsored by Mountain Fuel Supply Company, turns our costume jewelry. Their advisers are: Jerry R. Clarkson, Richard L. Hendricks. Wilson M Seely and Tracy W. Shepard, Jr. TELECO, sponsored by Mountain States Telephone turns out a game set and its advisers are: Stephen C. Lake, Leo ( Ted) McHenry, Claudia J. |