OCTOBER 2006

ANOTHER DOUBLE SUCCESS

The 2006 Grand Reunion for Lyceum Past Students, held in the Main Hall of The Lyceum at Hamrun on 7th October, will go down as another very successful event organised by the Association of Lyceum Past Students. As has now become customary, the event was open to all former students at The Lyceum, but with particular focus on those who first entered or left the school in 1956 – 50 years ago. In actual fact the attendance spanned all the ages from 50 to 91!

Welcoming the gathering, ALPS President George Stagno Navarra said that the passage of time had done nothing to diminish the enjoyment of getting together and reminiscing about Lyceum days. So much so that some migrants had timed their visit to Malta specifically to coincide with the reunion. The load of books and exercise books had long given way to the load of years, but the memories of the good old days continued to linger through the bond that the name of The Lyceum constituted, even if some of those present had never actually received lessons in the present building.

The years at The Lyceum had been the precursors of careers and working lives that few could then have foreseen, but which in most cases had been highly satisfactory, rewarding and productive. Irrespective of religious beliefs, it was impossible not to turn one’s mind to the Superior Being that had kept us all alive to witness and be part of this reunion. Even though most of those present were now pensioners or almost there, the wish to help the country remained as strong as ever, in keeping with the aims of ALPS, for the greater benefit of society and the upcoming generations.

Mr Stagno Navarra said that, on the strength of its organisational acumen in social, cultural, civic and educational activities, membership of ALPS was on a steady increase. He was sure that Founder-President Guido Saliba was looking on from Heaven, along with the souls of all those members who had not made it to this day, with great satisfaction at how this wonderful dream of his was developing.

For the second consecutive year the Grand Reunion was graced with the presence of Education Minister Louis Galea, ex officio Honorary President of ALPS, who congratulated the Association on yet another organisational success. Dr Galea said that whenever he heard the word Lyceum he could not help thinking about the hundreds of ex alumni who had done great things for their country, and augured that this would long continue.

By the time the reunion was over, ALPS had increased its membership by scores of past Lyceum students – another sure sign of success.

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENTS

Internet surfers who regularly visit our website, www.ALPSmalta.com, will have noticed a number of innovations timed to coincide with the Grand Reunion. Pride of place among these innovations should be accorded to the long-awaited feature “Colleagues from Past Lyceum Days”, which will henceforth be the part of the website catering mainly for updates and contacts among past Lyceum students.

The first to be featured is RAF Squadron Leader (Retired) Alex P. Galea, complete with pictures of himself as a Lyceum student, as a new RAF recruit and what he looks like now – exactly the “ingredients” we had hoped for. The success of this new feature simply depends on the use that past Lyceum students make of it, so … the ball is now in their court.

BRIEFING ON A.L.P.S. TOUR TO CANADA

A planning briefing for ALPS members and friends who have shown interest in joining the ALPS tour to Canada in mid-2007 is being held on Thursday 17th October 2006 at 7 p.m. at the Victoria Hotel, Sliema. The briefing, to be led by ALPS Canada Branch President Milo Vassallo who is helping with the organisation and is currently in Malta, is also open to those who would like to join the tour but have not yet talked to ALPS Secretary-General Alex Borg.

There are only a few places still available and, given that most will want to go in couples, those still-vacant places are effectively halved.

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Individuals who have not yet done so are invited to send in their membership fee of Lm3 for 2006 to Treasurer David Abela at “Juniper”, Triq Ganni Vella, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara BKR 13.