Business screen magazine (1947)

than tlic lasl annual ii'])Oil film, it miloUis much of the company's history, in addition to clarifying the year's financial operations. This is in keeping with the 1948 celebration of General Mills' twentieth anni\eisary. It was ill 1928 thai the company was formed out of the Waslibuni Crosby Cio. and its subsidiaries. .Since then, it has expanded to three times its original size. Beginning with two iTieetings on the west coast, held this year in .San Francisco at the St. Francis on Oct. 22 and in Los Angeles at the .\mbassador on Oct. 2b. ten regional stockholders' meetings were held within two months. The southwestern meeting site was the Skir\iii in Oklahoma City on Oct. 28. .Midwest meetings inchicled those at the Palmer House in Cihicago on Nov. 3 and at the Book Cadillac in Detroit on Nov. 5. Eastern stockholders saw the film at meetings in Buffalo at the .Statlcr on Nov. 9; in Washington at the Statler on Nov. 12, and in New York at the Commodore on Nov. 15. The southern meeting was held in Atlanta at the Biltmore on Nov. 18. This was followed by a meeting in the company's home town, Minneapolis, onNov.22 at the Radisson. The film was also shown the next day at a General Mills employees' meeting. Meetings Follow a Gener.\l Pattern .AH the meetings were conducted according to a general pattern. First, the film was shown at a luncheon for representatives of the local financial press, .\fter the filmed report, Mr. Bullis, who with President Perrin and Comptroller Gordon C. Ballhorn, attended each meeting, answered any questions the reporters asked about the year's operations. The stockholders met in the late afternoon, usually around 4 p.m. Mr. Bullis began the meeting with a short talk, after which the film was shown. Then lie and other company officials answered any questions that were asked from the Hoor. Often, a presentation of one of General Mills' new products closed the meeting. Displays Integrated with Picture For these meetings during the past few years, displays have been built to feature various divisions of the company— mechanical, ihemical, grocery products, farm-tested feeds and farm service stoics, special commodities, Betty Crocker home service, baker's service and research. The theme of this year's meetings was the comjjanv's history, w4iich was also featured in the film. .\n average of 30% of the company's stockholders attended the meetings, and judging liom their response. General Mills Today was a four-bell annual report film. Although company plans do not call for another series of regional stockholders' meetings for two years or more, dejjending on the general economii situation, it is safe to assume that the next series of meetings will also be built around a filmed annual report. Cieneral Mills' film department activities are super\ised bv Fom Hope. Headcpiarters are in the Minneapolis executive offices of the companv. • Jersev employee ma.ss MEETiNt; after sliuwing of annual report jilm. Top-niiiking Jersey officials handle ipiestion-answer sessions which follow the screenings. Jersey Report Film Wins Industry "Oscar" PRODUCED FOR MANAGEMENT-EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS •k Understanding a Jersey .innual Report, an eighteen-minute color and sound motion picture, is now being shown to super\isors and employee groups throughout the domestic affiliates of the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) . The picture, based on the firm's latest annual report, recently won a Financial World "Oscar of Industry". With Richard Koch directing and Fred Hankinson doing the animation, Pathescope Company of America, Inc. produced the visual report for Daniel Rochford's managementemployee communications section of Standard Oii's employee relations department. The purpose of the film is to interest more employees in the company's annual reports. Frank Pierce, executive of Esso, strikes at the root of the problem when he declares, "Special attention is needed to im]jress the indi\ idual employee with a wide scope of company knowledge so that he will not feel himself a mere cog in a large organization which he knows nothing about. If every man understands company policy and there is the proper inter-relation among employees, the man at the bottom will have a helpful, cooperative altitude. Ihus. iiianv problems can be solved al iheir source." Compare War and PEACEriME PRODUtmoN Mr. Pierce points out that although the performance of .America's system of mass produclion and distribution was excellent in World War II. it showed signs of great weakness during the last depression. .\nd after comparing the ,\merican system's different showings in depression and wartime, some people con ( hide thai an economic system whic h will work cfledivelv onh dining a wai should be dis carded. They forget that the -American wa\ can and has worked out successfully during peacetime. However, it is capable of being perfected and that is what Standard Oil is striving to do. Understanding a Jersey Annual Report is part of this progressive program. In the words of Mr. Pierce, "Persuading an employee to read his company's annual report may seem a minor accomplishment. Yet nowhere does an employee get a quicker, more comprehensive picture of management functioning as a balance wheel." The new Standard Oil film had its firsi showings recently before two em])loyee auditorium meetings in New York City. Prior to (continued on page fifty -two) Sharim. ikinoks jor Hcst hinployrc Anmiat Report Film" are (I to r) Richard Koch. Pathescope director; Edward Lamm, Pathescope president and produicr: Daniel Rodilord, head oj Jersey's management-employee communications gioup: and Joseph .S< liieferty, assistant to Mr. Rochford. NUMBER 8 • VOLUME 9 • 1948 29