Old heads on young shoulders

The Bully Buddies team

By Ron Lane

It was in 2018 that four young boys, at the ripe old age of 13 and 14 years, decided to undertake a project that was not just something of concern to their school and school friends, but also their parents. And this was not just a problem of local concern for it is indeed nationwide and of the utmost importance.

The four boys Charley Fraser, Luca Dadzio, Lachy Sandford-Bell and Xavier Hargreaves all students of St Andrews Anglican College decided that despite their youth they would form up into a group and attack the problem, the School Yard Bully, head on. The aim of the group which they named the Bully Buddies is to educate fellow students and develop a self-belief program for the school. This grew into a Community Problem Solving Project and after many months of planning and organizing they submitted the end product into a nation- wide project known as the Future Problem Solvers Competition. Having won the Queensland division they proceeded to Melbourne to contest the national final which they won.

As a result of their win, on Tuesday the boys flew to America to represent Australia at the Future Problem Solving International finals to be held this month at the University of Massachusetts. To have four young boys, at such a young age, not only confronting- but also act on such major problem is indeed something in which our community should take pride. Proud to say they are OUR BOYS.