never materialised last night.

Instead, Pembroke Sunday School was the scene of a democracy lesson, as for the first time in 15 years National Trust members exercised their right to vote secretly on who will lead them.

Normally, a five-name slate put forward by the outgoing council is approved by acclamation.

This year, five more names were put forward by the membership at large amid talk of a split between the council and grassroots.

But once ballots were counted, four of the five slate candidates had been elected. Outgoing president Mrs. Patsy Phillips described the outcome as "a very strong endorsement of council's choice''.

Those elected to the 13-member governing council, in the order their names appeared on the ballot, were: Ms Angela Hayward, Mr. Paul Hubbard, Mr. Wayne Jackson, Mr. Tim Marshall, and Mr. David L. White.

Now the council is to meet on Wednesday to choose its new president. Mr.

White, the Editor of The Royal Gazette and current Trust deputy president, has been tipped for that post.

There were 194 ballots cast, but the Trust would not release the number of votes each candidate received, or their order of finish.

Of those elected, all but Ms Hayward was on the council slate. Of the slate, only Bermuda banker Mr. James Gibbons failed to get a seat.

The other unsuccessful contenders were Mr. Peter Sayers, Mr. Maurice Terceira, Mr. Sanders Frith-Brown, and former National Trust director Mr. William Zuill, nominated only yesterday.

Ms Hayward, a teacher who was the Trust's first environmental officer from 1987 to 1989, told The Royal Gazette she would bring a new perspective to the council.

"I'm not from the business community, I'm not male, I'm from a very ordinary home background, I'm a single parent and a working mother,'' she said after the meeting. "I think that it's been very easy to get tangled up with people who have a lot of power, either financially or politically.

"I have neither of those things.'' Also last night, Trust members deferred for two months a decision on whether to increase the number of elected council members to ten from five, eliminating appointed seats for the Audubon Society, the Bermuda and St.

George's historical societies, the Garden Club, and the Keep Bermuda Beautiful Committee.

In a show of hands, a large majority agreed with Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward, who said they should have a chance to study a report prepared by a committee of past presidents before voting.

As she left the council after six years -- three of them as president -- Mrs.

Phillips described the Trust's "growing pains'' as it evolved from "a small, carefree, hard-working band of enthusiasts'' to a "well-oiled, smooth-running, million-dollar enterprise.''