ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER GREAT SUCCESS
By the time this edition of ALPS News has been inserted into the website, ALPS President George dei Conti Stagno Navarra will have officially inaugurated the ALPS Exhibition of Arts, Books and Crafts as part of the association’s 15th anniversary celebrations.
Participation in the exhibition has well and truly surpassed all expectations, to the tune of no less than 56 exhibitors with paintings, books, crafts and photographs. In fact, with the preset venue being the Old Liceo Building (now Heritage Malta head offices) in Merchants Street, Valletta, we have had a veritable “problem of success”. The great number of exhibitors has dictated restrictions on the number of exhibits that each of them can show.
For the occasion the Communications & Publications Commission has produced a 48-page booklet with the CVs and pictures of the exhibitors. This could not have been done without the close collaboration of Secretary-General Alex Borg, Lyceum Youths Commission Chairman Joe Micallef, Lyceum Art master Mark Micallef and a number of others.
The exhibition was inaugurated at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday 24th September, and will remain open from 9 until 4.30 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 p.m. on Saturday (closed on Sunday) until Wednesday 30th instant. ALPS members, friends, spouses and acquaintances are cordially invited to visit the exhibition.
Indeed, the number of exhibitors and the organisational process have already been a success; all that is still needed is good attendance figures.
MAKING GREATER USE OF ST. ANNE’S CHAPEL
The new efforts by ALPS to make greater and more effective use of St Anne’s Chapel in Pwales Valley seem to have met with success.
On Saturday 3rd October there will be Holy Mass at 5 p.m.
The annual Mass for the repose of souls of departed Lyceum past students and masters, relatives of ALPS members and friends and of the Pwales community will be held on Saturday 7th November at 4.30 p.m.
On Sunday 13th December (Republic Day, a public holiday) Mass will be at 11 a.m. The activity may possibly also include some Christmas carol singing before and after Holy Mass, for a good, early feel of the festive season with families and friends.
Please take note of these dates and times so that as many as possible can attend. Besides doing one’s religious duties for the weekend, attendance at St Anne’s Chapel brings with it the added bonus of togetherness that is always so tangibly present among members and friends of the Association of Lyceum Past Students.
VERY SPECIAL GRAND REUNION IN THE OFFING
The ALPS Grand Reunion on Friday 30th October, for all Lyceum past students but with a special emphasis on those who entered or left The Lyceum in 1959, promises to be a very special event indeed. President of Malta George Abela has a note in his official diary to attend this reunion, barring any as-yet-unforeseen official engagements of state.
In order to make this an even more special occasion for President Abela, the Council of Administration is making efforts to locate and invite his former class-mates, but this is proving difficult for the usual reasons of moved residences. Any help that can be forthcoming from ALPS News readers, addressed to Secretary-General Alex Borg (see masthead for details), will be sincerely welcome.
At the end of this edition of ALPS News is the application form for attendance at the Grand Reunion. To tell the truth, which this publication has always promised to do, the number of applications received so far leaves a lot to be desired. It is hoped that this can only be put down to oversight or a very busy schedule – all the more reason why Lyceum past students should take this opportunity to spend an enjoyable evening rekindling acquaintances with former schoolmates. This will be all the more so if we have His Excellency President George Abela joining us on the evening.
ALL CABINS FOR A.L.P.S. CRUISE TAKEN UP
As reported in the July edition of ALPS News, the response for the Western Mediterranean ALPS Cruise on the m.v. Norwegian Gem from 13th to 20th October was so great that SMS Travel kindly agreed to allocate a number of additional cabins for those who had not yet put their wishes into action and booked their participation. Even these additional cabins have now been taken up, and late decision-makers have unfortunately had to be turned away.
Just like all ALPS cruises and overseas visits that have come before this one, it should really be a holiday to remember.
SORRY, NOT OUR DOING
The Communications & Publications Commission takes pride in answering all correspondence with the least possible delay, including all contacts that come in through the ALPS website. But in recent weeks there have been at least three website messages that came in completely garbled. This Editor immediately got in touch with the website company but was told there was nothing that could be done.
So, if there is any ALPS News reader who tried to get in touch through the website but received no reply, let him please try again, either by website or by e-mail on lauvel@onvol.net.
Sorry, but it’s not down to something we’ve done or missed doing.
FOR YOUR DIARY …
Here’s another reminder for an entry into your diaries for the 4th December 2009 for the ALPS Yuletide and 15th anniversary dinner-dance at the Corinthia San Gorg Hotel.
Further details will be forthcoming in ALPS News.
THANKS FOR THE HELP
Thanks are due to all those ALPS members and friends who sent in donations after receiving their copies of The Chanticleer. These donations continued to help the association to defray the huge costs of the high-quality publication.
Any other donations will be more than welcome because the association is still a long way from retrieving the cost of production of the excellent magazine, which has been so highly lauded.
TIES AND BADGES, ANYONE?
The association still has in stock a number of ALPS ties and Lyceum blazer badges. The latter, especially, should be a prized possession of all Lyceum past students, to remind them of the years in which they proudly wore the centuries-old badge which has now also been adopted as the badge for the whole San Gorg Preca College.
The ties are available for €10 each and the badges for €2.50 each, including local postage, by recourse to ALPS Secretary-General Alex Borg.
IN MEMORIAM
This edition of ALPS News is asking readers to remember in their prayers
Also on our list this month is Frans Bezzina of Hamrun, who passed away on 21st July 2009 at the age of 66. Frans was a years-long acquaintance of many of us who entered The Lyceum in 1955 or 1956, including Secretary-General Alex Borg and Communications & Publications Commission Chairman Laurence Vella.
ALPS President George dei Conti Stagno Navarra, on the other hand, was deeply saddened to hear of the premature demise of Dennis Vella, a dedicated member of the arts in Malta who always carried out his duties with great dignity and passion, whether as Curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, a member of the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti and a lecturer at the University of Malta. His advice about matters of art were widely sought and his publications are testimony to the commitment he invested into his every activity. His passing away while still in employment was a great shock to all his colleagues.
Our deep condolences to Fr Bartolo, Mrs Bezzina and Mrs Vella and their respective families. May the souls of their dear departed rest in peace.
KAPPELLI MALTIN
Congratulations to Lyceum past students Joe Brincat, Roderick Busuttil and Noel Ciantar on the second anniversary of their website Kappelli Maltin. They have done a lot of good for the increased awareness of Malta’s patrimony in the chapels sector, not least to ALPS by including the St Anne’s Chapel in their website. ALPS is proud to provide a link to the Kappelli Maltin website through its own website www.alpsmalta.com. Keep it up, lads!
MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
The annual obligation for ALPS members to pay their subscription fees for the year is still with us. Fees are to be addressed to ALPS Treasurer David Abela at “Juniper”, Triq Ganni Vella, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara.
GRAND REUNION APPLICATION FORM