MEMBERS of the Business and Professional Women's Association of Bermuda (BPWA) have been going all out this week entertaining their world president, Dr. Chonchanok Viravan.

She came especially to be guest speaker at the 30th anniversary banquet and annual candle-lighting ceremony of the local branch, held at the Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club.

Dr. Viravan is a native of Bangkok, Thailand, where she is an e-commerce and IT executive with the Bank of Asia. As president of the World Federation of BPWA, with its branches all over the universe, she is based in Switzerland.

Her visit also provided a refreshing opportunity to renew her friendship with a local trail-blazer, optometrist Dr. Yvette Swan.

Dr. Swan brought distinction to Bermuda in 1989 when she was elected to a four-year-term as president of the World Federation; for the previous three years she had been a high-profile first vice-president of BPWA.

Additionally, she had the distinction of being the youngest ever world president in the 75-year history of the organisation. Now that honour has gone to Dr. Viravan. The two ladies were most gracious at the banquet in acknowledging their changing status.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Bermuda, the Most Rev. Robert J. Kurtz, was among the dignitaries at the banquet, as well as Mrs. Elizabeth Benham-Herman, BPWA's international representative at the United Nations in New York. She was guest speaker at last year's annual banquet.

Among those participating in the candle-lighting were the president of the Bermuda branch, Ms Barbara Lewis-Mills, Dr. Norma Hendrickson, Mrs. Judith Morgan-Swan, Ms Freda Roderick, Mrs. Lorna Dixon-Marable, Mrs. Doris Corbin, Mrs. Lucille Dixon, Mrs. Lynette Wilson, Mrs. Delores Proctor and Mrs. Emancia Outerbridge.

Other highlights of the banquet included the induction of Ms Ann Davis Dill as a new member, and the presentation of Miss Marilyn Steede as BPWA's 'Woman of the Year 2006'. Ms Jeanette Francis, in her citation of Miss Steede, said she was singled out for what BPWA considered her phenomenal feat of walking continuously for 24 hours in no fewer than five walk-a-thons for charity.

Miss Steede, an executive secretary, has gained other distinctions since graduating from St. George's Secondary School, the most notable having been her achievements in the Bermuda Regiment.

To date, Marilyn is the only female to serve in the Bermuda Regiment who has attained the rank of Warrant Officer Class Two, better referred to as Sergeant Major. She was not only the first female, but the very first soldier in the Regiment to be awarded the Best Sergeant of the Year Trophy.

She was the first female to attend and successfully complete the drill course in the United Kingdom, qualifying her as a drill instructor, and instructor of platoons in the art of ceremonial parade drill. She also had the distinction of being the first female to be in charge of a male section of the Bermuda Regiment during training exercises in the mountains and bush of Jamaica, as well as being the first female platoon sergeant supervising a male recruit platoon comprising 50-plus new recruits under her charge.

Miss Steede's first walk-a-thon in March 2003 raised more than $31,000, all of which was donated to the Bermuda Stroke and Family Support Association to assist with its implementation of a rehabilitation ward at the hospital for stroke survivors.

In 2004 she raised more than $24,000, donated to the Stroke Association, and in the following year she raised $16,000 which was donated to Age Concern for benefit of Bermuda's senior citizens. And later in November, in her second walk-a-thon for the year funds raised were for the benefit of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Marilyn was applauded when she said it seemed so trite just to say 'thank you' for BPWA's citation. Her physical efforts were merely a vehicle to assist the community as a whole to improve the quality of life for all in Bermuda.

She said the credit actually belonged to the stakeholders who contributed the donations.

My photo shows distinguished guests at the gala 30th annual banquet of the BPWA of Bermuda, at Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club. From the left are Mrs. Elizabeth Benham-Herman, Second Vice-President and BPWA's international representative at the UN in New York; Dr. Chonchanok Viravan, BPWA international president; Ms Barbara Lewis-Mills, local BWPA president; Roman Catholic Bishop of Bermuda the Most Rev. Robert J. Kurtz; Ms Jeanette Harris; Miss Marilyn Steede, BPWA's 'Woman of the Year 2006;' and past international and past BPWA president Dr. Yvette Swan.