GRAND REUNION 2007 WAS THE GREATEST TO DATE
Hundreds of past students of The Lyceum, coming from all
walks of life, converged on the Dun Guzepp Zammit (Brighella)
Lyceum at Hamrun on Friday 12th October to relive memories
of their secondary education with old schoolmates and make
new friendships. The guest of honour was Archbishop Paul Cremona,
who started his studies at The Lyceum in October 1956. He
concelebrated Mass for those who attended, together with a
number of priests including Mgr Lawrence Gatt, who entered
the school 60 years ago in 1947, Fr Anton Gouder and ALPS
Spiritual Director Fr William Bartolo.
In his homily Mgr Cremona made it clear he had experienced
no sense of sacrifice in accepting the invitation to the reunion
from the ALPS Council of Administration. In fact he was delighted
to be back in his old school among his old classmates and
others whose acquaintance he had been happy to make during
the course of his pastoral duties. His years at The Lyceum
had left him, as well as countless others, with non-academic
lessons which they only realised and appreciated in later
life.
He recalled the last time he had visited the school to pick
up his school certificate. With a big smile on his face, His
Grace even surprised everyone present, including spouses,
that he could still remember some masters’ nicknames
which were part and parcel of life at The Lyceum.
Welcoming all present to the reunion, including Education
Minister Louis Galea, ALPS President George Stagno Navarra
spoke about the innumerable gentlemen that The Lyceum had
turned out, including scores of people who had not only made
their old school proud but also their country by occupying
posts of highest esteem. As cases in point he mentioned Archbishop
Cremona himself, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca, Bishops
Annetto Depasquale and Mario Grech and, for good measure,
St Gorg Preca who was also a student at The Lyceum.
Mr Stagno Navarra dwelt on the great success of yet another
reunion of Lyceum past students, held in August in Toronto
during a visit by ALPS Malta members and friends. He said
the friendships that were born at The Lyceum could only be
ended by death, and pointed out that besides Canada, an ALPS
branch also existed in Australia.
The President paid tribute to the memory of ALPS Founder-President
Dr Guido Saliba, who in 1994 started to realise his long-cherished
dream of uniting Lyceum past students in an association that
would seek not only their welfare and enjoyment but also their
philanthropic contributions towards the less fortunate members
of society. As examples he mentioned the annual collaboration
of ALPS with the organisers of the Lyceum Bicycle Marathon,
the proceeds from which last year went exclusively to the
Dar tal-Providenza directed by ALPS stalwart Mgr Lawrence
Gatt, and the planting of an ALPS Grove in the 34U Campaign.
At the end of his speech Mr Stagno Navarra presented Archbishop
Cremona with a gift and a parchment appointing him an Honorary
Life Member of the Association of Lyceum Past Students. To
commemorate the Grand Reunion ALPS also donated a number of
books to the library of The Lyceum.
All guests present were treated to a reception.
Before they left for home, several satisfied non-members
enrolled in the Association of Lyceum Past Students and promised
their full support in the association’s activities.
Indeed this annual surge in membership has become a standard
feature of every Lyceum Grand Reunion since it started being
held in October 2005.
MAKING MALTA A BETTER PLACE
On Saturday 3rd November members and friends of ALPS took
part in a simple but very significant activity at the top
end of Kennedy Grove, planting a total of 36 olive trees in
the 34U Campaign. The area will eventually be identified as
the ALPS Grove.
Like the massive tree-planting exercise of a weekend before
at Mellieha, where thousands of saplings were planted by members
of the public of every age and social standing, the original
idea grew from the determination to give a lesson to whoever
had destroyed 3,000 saplings earlier in the year. But, as
President George Stagno Navarra said at the ALPS activity,
it soon took on a more significant meaning. “ALPS is
statutorily committed to making Malta a better place to live
in not just for its members and friends but for society at
large. This was a way of extending that beneficence to future
generations.”
YULETIDE DINNER-DANCE
The Association’s Yuletide Dinner-Dance this year will
be held on Friday 7th December at the Paradise Bay Resort
Hotel at Cirkewwa, with a musical trio in attendance. There
will be a welcome drink for each participant, and very attractive
hampers for raffles.
The decision on the venue was due in large measure to the
resonant feedback received from scores of ALPS members and
friends who attended the very successful dinner in January
2007 at the Paradise Bay.
Since the 7th December falls on the eve of the Immaculate
Conception public holiday, the Council of Administration has
contrived to negotiate four prices for patrons: the dinner-dance
only for Lm8/€18.63 per person (Lm4.50/€10.48 for
children aged 2 to 11); dinner-dance and one overnight’s
accommodation on bed-and-breakfast basis for Lm13/€30.28;
dinner-dance, overnight, breakfast and lunch for Lm16/€37.27;
and dinner-dance, first overnight on half board and second
night on bed-and-breakfast basis for Lm21/€48.92. Children
sharing a room with their parents will be charged for at half
price for the accommodation part.
The menu for the dinner-dance is at the end of this edition
of ALPS News. Bookings are to be made with Social Commission
Chairman Alfred Formosa at “The Cottage”, 20/22
Ta’ Giorni Road, Ta’ Giorni, or Secretary-General
Alex Borg at “Alson”, Naxxar Road, San Gwann,
by not later than Tuesday 4th December with full pre-payment.
Enquiries to Alfred Formosa on telephone 21 383486 or mobile
9924 6574, or Alex Borg on 21 386812 or mobile 9988 8579.
But most importantly, book early to avoid the disappointment
experienced by those who left it too late last time.
RETIRED BANKER PUBLISHES IMPORTANT HISTORY
Dr John A. Consiglio, who left the Lyceum in 1956 to embark
on a successful 42-year career as a professional banker, then
officially retired in 2000 but ended up even busier than ever
lecturing in four faculties at the University of Malta, has
broken new ground in Malta’s historiography by publishing
the first-ever complete history of banking in Malta.
A History of Maltese Banking is the result of some 25 years
of research in Malta and overseas banking archives, and includes
all the most important events that impacted on banking and
financial services on these islands: what in fact is today
one of our economy’s success stories.
The book has earned excellent reviews locally and overseas,
and has been particularly successful among overseas banking
history students and academics. It includes several very interesting
illustrations from Dr Consiglio’s own banking memorabilia
collection. ALPS members and friends are encouraged to obtain
this work, which comes highly recommended as a very interesting
read.
OPERETTA CHOIR KEEPS GROWING
As has already been announced, the ALPS Foundation Day Concert
for 2008 has been brought forward to Saturday 19th January.
The 2008 event will be a semi-concert version of the operetta
La Principessa della Czarda, with music by Emerich Kalmann.
Cultural Commission Chairman Joe Fenech, who as usual is
spearheading the efforts, says the chorus for the operetta
is coming along nicely in both quantity and quality –
and what’s better still, the choristers are enjoying
themselves and making new friends. Any ALPS members and friends,
male and female, who would like to join are still in time
to contact Joe on telephone 21 410632.
“FROM THE OPERETTA TO THE MUSICAL”
Joe Fenech is also the producer of what the Malta Union Club
promises to be a very enjoyable evening, on 23rd November,
when members and non-members of the club in Tigné Street,
Sliema, are invited to a concert of music from popular operettas
and more modern musicals. Booking for tickets at Lm3.50/€8.15
is already open on e-mail info@maltaunionclub.com or telephone
21 332011/2. Non-member holders of concert tickets may leave
their vehicles at the CCCP Car Park in High Street at a discount.
NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN
The annual Requiem Mass for the repose of dear departed relatives
of ALPS members and friends, teachers and students of The
Lyceum, as well as relatives of the Pwales community, will
be held at St Anne’s Chapel, Pwales Valley, at 4.30
p.m. on Saturday 17th November.
IN SEARCH OF YOUNG BLOOD
Since people don’t get any younger, the need is making
itself increasingly felt for young blood to help push forward
the Association’s busy agenda. One good way of achieving
this would be nominations of new faces for election to the
Council of Administration at the Annual General Meeting which
will be held in the evening of Friday 25th January 2008. More
details will be forthcoming in the next issue of ALPS News.
In the meantime, ALPS members who may not yet have paid their
membership for 2007 can ensure eligibility to attend the AGM
by sending Lm5/€11.65 (annual subscription) or Lm30/€69.88
(once-only life membership) to Treasurer David Abela at “Juniper”,
Triq Ganni Vella, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara.
A TOY FOR GOOD MEASURE
Following the success of two years ago when ALPS launched
a collection of exercise books and pencils from Maltese schoolchildren
for their counterparts in Arequipa, Peru, the Association
is now launching a similar appeal – but with a toy thrown
in for good measure. All items collected from this campaign
Gugarell, Pitazz u Lapes will be passed on to the Mission
Fund, which will then forward them to Tanzania.
The project is again being spearheaded by Philanthropic Commission
Chairman Dr Nazareno Azzopardi, who has already written to
all Government, Church and private school heads urging them
to participate and organise the collection of exercise books,
pencils and toys in January, after most children will have
received loads of toys for Christmas.
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A.L.P.S.
YULETIDE DINNER-DANCE Friday MENU Roasted Corkscrew Roast Chicken Beef Poached Pancakes Seasonal Variety Coffee Welcome |