Sarah Young from Melbourne and Sophia Sinclair of Christchurch New Zealand each won their respective nation's 2014 Best Article Consistency Award (designated the Mark and Delma Tronson) sponsored by Mr Basil Sellers AM and presented by Well-Being Australia's Russell Modlin at the Press Service International's gala awards event last weekend on the Gold Coast.
This is a new award struck by Mr Basil Sellers AM in recognition of Mark and Delma Tronson's 37 years in Christian 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 overall consistent top articles of 2014 as published in Christian Today and as marked by the Panellists. Sarah Young is currently undertaking her Masters in Clinical Psychology in Melbourne while husband Jimmy is in Anglican Youth Ministry.
Sophia Sinclair is a recent new mum and editor of New Zealand's CMS magazine and undertaken special assignments for CMS. Sophia presented the same plenary (Finding our collective voice) on the Gold Coast as she did at the April Wellington NZ young writers conference.
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.
Winners Awards
Every young writer is deemed 'a winner' and receive an inscribed PSI coffee mug and certificate, no young writer one leaves empty handed from the awards night. The big winners also receive a medallion.
The two top awards each receive $1000, the two 'The Mark and Delma Tronson' each receive $500 and the major others awards receive a "PSI Best Article" coffee mug and certificates while the Most Improves each receive a book.
These two 2014 Best Articles Awards named after Mark and Delma Tronson and you may read something of their 37 years ministry in Peter Nelson's story.
A selection of photographs from the gala awards night
Conference song
The theme song (sang numerous times) for the young writers conference was an old favourite that everyone knew and sang heartedly - "I've got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart, down in my heart ....." Throughout the conference we could hear the young writers humming the tune. Our lead singers were young writers Lisa Goetze from Canada and Bridget Brenton from Brisbane.
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
