over many years have been honoured.

They included Ms Leleath Bailey, who became the first female president following last year's inaugural BPSA general election.

Also recognised was second vice-president Mrs. Estlyn D. Harvey, noted for becoming Bermuda's first female Chief Environmental Health Officer.

The other six were: Ms Thelma Hart, Mrs. Betty Christopher, Mrs. Golinda Fox, Ms Eloise Millett, Ms Cynthia Postlethwaite, and Mrs. Marita Thompson.

Each received long service awards during a ceremony this week hosted by the BPSA women's committee.

Scores of people crammed into the BPSA headquarters in Angle Street for the ceremony, which had the theme "A Day of Dignity for Women Workers''.

Before the presentation, the association saluted Dame Marjorie Bean, recently named in the Queen's New Year Honours.

BPSA members Ms Connie Smith and Mr. Preston Swan also sung musical tributes to Dame Marjorie and women respectively.

Dame Marjorie was further applauded in a speech by union member Ms Marlene Christopher.

Ms Christopher also praised other women in the community who had broken down barriers, including Shadow Delegated Affairs Minister Mrs. Lois Browne Evans, the first black woman in Parliament.

Women were urged by Ms Christopher to get involved in the fight against sexual discrimination and harassment, and join professional associations.

After Ms Christopher's speech, the long-service awards were presented in recognition of hard work over 15 years or more for the union.

Ms Bailey, before becoming president, served the BPSA as shop steward, chairman and recording secretary. She was the first chairperson of the BPSA Women's Advisory Committee and coordinated the first Women's Forum in 1989; Mrs. Harvey began her union activities as a shop steward in 1980, becoming chief shop steward two years later. She was later elected second vice-president, and in 1987 was appointed acting president. She was elected to her current position in 1991; Ms Hart joined the BPSA in 1979 as secretary to the first full-time General Secretary Mr. Eugene Blakeney. She was recording secretary for the first bi-ennial delegates conference. She is presently first president of the Bermuda Chapter of Professional Secretaries International; Mrs. Christopher began union activities in 1965, and has served as shop steward, recording secretary and third vice-president. A BPSA representative at many overseas conferences, she is also a tax inspector at the Tax Commissioner's Office; Mrs. Fox has been second vice-president of the BPSA since 1990 and represents the King Edward VII Memorial and St. Brendan's Hospitals. A nurse, she was elected shop steward for her nursing unit and has remained active since 1979; Ms Millett was instrumental in organising the Bermuda Telephone Company staff to be unionised in the BPSA in 1980. She was a shop steward and later took up the post of chairperson for one of the divisions. She has been secretary to the Telco Entertainment Committee and the Independent Telephone Pioneers' Association; Ms Postlethwaite is an honorary BPSA member. From 1968 to 1989 she worked in the Post Office, rising to become Postmistress at the St. George's Post Office. In 1978, she was asked to be shop steward, representing the Parcel Post, Registration Department, and later the East End Post Offices; and Mrs. Thompson started work at the General Post Office on March 15, 1971, and will celebrate 24 years of service next week. She has served as shop steward for 15 years, and was appointed to the BPSA Women's Committee in 1992, attending many seminars, banquets and other functions.