BOSTON The New England Bus Association held is annual meeting here late last month, marking another year of growth and conducting a series of educational sessions that appear to be helping spur interest in the organization.

New England Bus, which was founded in 1925, is entering its 85th year of service to the New England motorcoach industry.

Outgoing President Carl Lajeunesse of Peter Pan Bus Lines and Secretary-Treasurer Darril King of Daimler Buses of North America reported the association added 17 new members last year, and an additional 16 so far this year. NEBA now has 54 operator and 95 associate members.

King noted that George Anzuoni of Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway, was attending his 45th consecutive annual meeting.

Flagship Trailways President Tom McCaughey was elected president of the association, and MCIs Mitch Guralnick stepped into the role of secretary-treasurer.

Bruce Snow of Post Road Stages and Larry Anzuoni of Brush Hill Transportation were elected to the board.

NEBA has experienced steady growth for the past four years, due in part to increased effort to offer substantial educational content at the annual meeting.

This years program at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf included Loretta Bitner, division chief for the Commercial Passenger Carrier Safety Division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She spoke about the agencys activities.

Norm Littler of the American Bus Association, Ken Presley of the United Motorcoach Association and Tim Davis of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities participated in a panel discussion on industry safety moderated by Chris Crean of Peter Pan.

Steven Levy of Sprague Energy spoke on the current status of diesel fuel, and FMCSA program specialist Steven Hanley offered insight into how to survive a USDOT audit.