The young emerging writers program of Press Service International holds its annual conference and award presentations on the Gold Coast tomorrow, Saturday 13 September on the Gold Coast at the Banora Point Baptist facilities.
Young writers have flown in from New Zealand and throughout Australia (including Perth, Western Australia) for this annual event, the first of which was held in 2010. This is a publishing program initiated in 2008 linked with Christian Today (Australia) whose international headquarters are in London.
Press Service International is one of the ministries of Well-Being Australia whose major sponsor Mr Basil Sellers AM graciously supports this youth development program with prize monies donated toward the development of their future professional undertakings.
There are three groups of Panellists (Australian, New Zealand, Sport) who mark the daily articles and these points are collated after each of the 6 Cycles of 5 weeks (20 January – 15 August) by independent statistician, retired corporate banker Mr John Grocott.
There are numerous 2014 awards and these are:
Top Points
Basil Sellers Australian Young Writer
Basil Sellers New Zealand Young Writer
Sport
Basil Sellers Sport Writer
Most Improved
Australian Young Writer Most Improved
New Zealand Young Writer Most Improved
Well-Being Australia and Panellists Best Writer Awards
Panellists have selected the best articles of the year.
'The Mark and Delma Tronson'
This is a new award struck by Mr Basil Sellers AM is in recognition of Mark and Delma Tronson's 37 years in ministry, 30 years in Cricket Ministry, 18 years of founding and developing the Sports and Leisure Ministry 1982-2000 (now Sports Chaplaincy Australia) and founding and developing this young writer program with Christian Today.
'The Mark and Delma Tronson' is a double, awarded to the young writers with the best overall Australian and the best New Zealand articles of 2014.
The two top awards each receive $1000, the two 'The Mark and Delma Tronson' each receive $500 along with medallions, and the major others awards receive a "PSI Best Article" coffee mug and certificates while the Most Improves each receive a book.
Annual conference
The day program highlights includes Josh Hinds launching the CARD web site (Christian Author Registry Depository), Christchurch's Sophia Sinclair's workshop which Sophia gave at the New Zealand young writer conference in April in Wellington, Jeremy Dover on the New Reformation (ministry outside the cloisters of the church) and Mr Gavin Lawrie reflecting on the conference.
Tony Dunkerley speciality is mentoring, the former Commissioner of Junior Football, immediate past President of Football Victorian, Victorian Junior and Joeys Coach, the Australian MD of a UK multi-national and regular on the Well-Being Australia 'Country Town Tour' outreaches.
Lunch is delivered pizza and dinner is at the Twin Towns Junior a 2 min drive from the Banora Point Baptist facilities. Air fare scholarships have been raised to fly the young writers to the Gold Coast, Banora Point Baptist have donated the facilities, Mr John Grocott is sponsoring the lunch and and Mr Tony Dunkerley the dinner at Twin Town Juniors.
After the Awards evening there is a 40 minute Coolangatta "night boardwalk experience" followed by coffee.
Shoe String
With the young writers is was necessary to initiate a little bit of lateral thinking with good support so as provide an international conference on a shoe string, as these young writers do not have the where-with-all to be paying out huge sums of money for air fares and accommodation as delegates.
The Well-Being Australia support network realised this and came to the party recognising the value of such a ministry giving these 72 Gen Y young people a voice into the international on-line market place in Christian Today.
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.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html