The young writer program of Press Service International in conjunction with Christian Today has a 50 week plan which consists of 10 Cycles and in each Cycle there are 5 weeks of articles.
Each of the 10 Cycles has 5 weeks of articles
Christian Today Australia
Week 1 - Australian young writers
Week 2 - Australian young writers
Week 3 - Australian young writers
Week 4 - International young writers
Week 5 - Over 31s – Aust, NZ, Internationals
Each Wednesday there is a Sport article and each Tuesday and Friday are 2 senior writers on each day. Monday and Thursday is a Christian News article.
Christian Today New Zealand
Week 1 - Kiwi young writers
Week 2 - Kiwi young writers
Week 3 - Kiwi young writers
Week 4 - NZ senior writers
Week 5 - Kiwi Over 31s
Total 50 weeks
All that totals to 50 weeks.
Do the maths. 10 Cycles of 5 weeks each Cycle = 50 weeks.
Ah ha! But there are 52 weeks in each year - what happens in that additional two week period.
Each and every year the first weeks of January houses the young writers ‘Best Articles’ of the year and the determent of which ‘Best Articles’ get republished are those young writers who attend the annual young writers conference.
But 2020 will be different – there will be three weeks of ‘Best Articles’ – again it is matter of ‘do the maths’ – we had 66 young writers at the August young writer conference in Melbourne. That means we need three weeks to cater for all the Best Articles – 4 each day.
Conferences - Awards commenced in 2013
2019 - Melbourne
2018 - Christchurch
2017 - Sunshine Coast
2016 - Sydney
2015 - Sydney
2014 - Tweed Heads (southern Gold Coast)
2013 - Melbourne
There are Panellists who mark the articles and the statisticians then determine from the Points collated which specific article is each young writer’s Best Article. This is how it happens every year.
Each young writer receives a certificate with their Best Article identified – these are collated and then re-published in those first two weeks of January - with the beginning of the 2020 young writer program commencing in the 3rd week of January, Monday 20.
2020 is different – there will be three weeks of ‘Best Articles’ – again it is matter of ‘do the maths’ – we had 66 young writers at the August young writer conference in Melbourne. That means we need three weeks to cater for all the Best Articles – but this year the advantage was the day on which the 1 January falls.
Hence we get three weeks of Best Articles and still get 50 weeks of young writer program.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Dr Mark Tronson’s Press Service International in 2019 was awarded the Australasian Religious Press Association’s premier award, The Gutenberg.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html