A Synopsis on The History of
Bucks County Commissioners' Advisory Council for Women

•  When three of the sixty elected delegates from Pennsylvania, Barbara Abbott, Carol Coran and Elsa Puder Supplee, returned from the National Women's Conference held in Houston, Texas, in November 1977, they held an informational meeting at Bucks County Community College the following spring for about 100 participants. From this the Women's Coalition of Bucks County was formed, composed of representatives from many of the women's organizations in the County who worked together to implement the resolutions passed in Houston.

•  In the fall of 1978, Commissioner George Metzger organized a Task Force

The task force consisted of the members of the coalition and about forty other interested people and it was formed to make recommendations as to how county government could better serve women's needs.

•  The task force issued a report in October 1979

The issues on “Battered Women, Child Abuse, Child Care, Displaced Homemakers, Elected and Appointive Office, Employment, Health, Rape, Women Offenders” were reported and recommendations about these concerns were made on this report.

•  A permanent commission for women was established on April 9, 1980

By resolution of Commissioners, Andrew Warren, Elaine Zettick and Carl Fonash, the newly appointed board of thirteen members was charged with assessing the needs of women, apprising the commissioners and public of those needs, and advocating for changes to improve the quality of life for women.

•  In its fourth anniversary, the Council expanded to twenty-one members

With its enriched membership, the council started meeting on the Fourth Tuesday of each month in the courthouse in Doylestown, which made a close working relationship with the commissioners and staff members possible.

•  A massive one-time project with the help of many was undertaken by the Council

In a 1984-85 survey with over 300 telephone interviews, the results of which were useful to Commissioners Carl Fonash, Lucille Trench and Andrew Warren. Survey results gave the Council direction on domestic violence, child care, voting, employment and women in politics issues.

•  The Council coordinated a column, WOMEN'S FORUM in the local newspapers

This column was an action that was initiated as a result of the survey, which made clear that most respondents do not know what services are available to them in Bucks County. The column informed about the women's service agencies in the county.

•  The Council became part of a network of women's commissions nationally