profession, have been honoured for the first time.

And one of the organisers of the first Teacher' Awards, Mrs. Janice Swainson, told The Royal Gazette the recognition was long overdue.

Among those recognised were former Education Minister Mrs. Gloria McPhee, Mrs.

Edna (Jackson) Thomas, and Mrs. A. Hope Bassett.

Mrs. Thomas is Mrs. Swainson's aunt and Mrs. Bassett is her mother.

It was because of their overlooked dedication to teaching, that Mrs. Swainson decided to come up with such awards.

She said she initially thought of recognising her mother and five aunts who all dedicated their lives to the profession, but never received any recognition.

"The thought grew and grew and when I thought about all the information the senior teachers, long-term serving teachers and those retired had to impart to younger teachers and those thinking of going into teaching, I decided that these people deserved recognition,'' said Mrs. Swainson who comes from a family of teachers.

She said she also planned to put the information in a booklet "to be used for generations to come''.

Mrs. Swainson noted that Mrs. Gloria McPhee, who was one of the founding members of Teen Services, was also instrumental in: Establishing the Bermuda Archives as a Government Department; Establishing Bermuda's first college with an administrative board of governors; The development of Stonington Hotel as a training hotel for the college's Department of Hotel Technology; Commissioning the "first full-scale'' survey and evaluation of the public school system; and Establishing the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate.

Mrs. McPhee, on behalf of the Bermuda National Trust of which she is a member, also pushed forward with Government the matter of granting the buildings and property, known as the Keep Yard, for the use of the Bermuda Maritime Museum Association, Mrs. Swainson added.

Her mother, Mrs. Bassett, taught in the public school system for more than 20 years. She was a teacher at West End School and Southampton Glebe.

While teaching, Mrs. Bassett also taught adults at night for free so that they could upgrade their skills.

Because of her strong background in writing and her talent for accuracy, Mrs.

Swainson said in the 1970s her mother became the librarian and legal editorial assistant at the Attorney General's chambers.

"In addition to the Attorney General, my mom also worked for the Solicitor General, and the Parliamentary and Crown counsels,'' she said. "In fact, the Attorney General was preparing for the computerisation of the Revision of Laws when she was due to retire so she was asked to stay on an extra four years so they could continue to benefit from her ample skills.'' Mrs. Swainson said her mother also helped law students during the summers while working for the Attorney General.

She noted that Mrs. Thomas, who at 85 still teaches music and plays the organ for Grace Church and the Cobbs Hill Methodist Church, taught former Chief Justice Sir James Astwood.

"She took him Sir James by his hand the first day of school, walked him to school, set him down in her classroom and taught him. She has now been teaching for 50 years.

"But none of that was never known and I want it known before people read about it in their obits,'' Mrs. Swainson said.

She, with the help of the Teachers' Award Committee, pulled off the unprecedented event last month.

And Mrs. Swainson said in spite of the inclement weather, the event -- held under the distinguished patronage of the Governor Lord Waddington and Lady Waddington at the Belmont Hotel on November 21 -- was "well attended and a resounding success''.

Lord Waddington and Lady Waddington are expected to hold a tea in the near future for some 150 teachers who have given long-term service and/or are retired.