FEBRUARY 2006

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.

It gives me great satisfaction to be close to you all,
as often as possible.

As the months start rolling and the new Council of Administration
of ALPS settles down to work, it gets busy preparing events
and activities for members. This year looks like it’s
going to be quite active from the onset.

With the very successful Valentine’s Day Dinner
already in the bag, we are now preparing a number of events
that you will find full details about in the present issue
of ALPS News and in other issues to follow. Although we have
more activities lined up than you will read about today, the
newsletter simply gives you a taste of the next few activities
so that you can plan around them. This is because we value
your active participation in all that the Council prepares
for members and friends. It is, indeed, that participation
that gives us the courage to create new and more varied events.

GEORGE STAGNO NAVARRA

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2006

The 12th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Lyceum
Past Students was held on 27th January 2006 at The Lyceum,
Hamrun. As always, it could have been better attended, even
though it was held on a Friday evening instead of a Sunday
morning.

After the reading and approval of the minutes of the 11th
AGM, the Administration Report and the Financial Statement
as at 31st December 2005 were approved. President George Stagno
Navarra delivered a short address, the gist of which is reflected
in his message above. This was followed by the election of
officials and members to the Council of Administration and
a Spiritual Director. Two auditors were nominated for 2006.

In keeping with the ALPS statute, the posts of President
and Secretary-General were not contested this year, in the
interests of continuity. Joe Fenech and David Abela were confirmed
as Deputy President and Treasurer respectively. The other
members elected to Council were Tony Aquilina, Nazareno Azzopardi,
Charles Calleja, Alfred Formosa, Oscar Galea (new Council
member) and Laurie Vella. Fr William Bartolo OFM Conv. was
confirmed as Spiritual Director.

As previously advised, the Statute was reviewed and updated
to present times. The amended version is shown in the ALPS
website at www.ALPSmalta.com, with the changes appearing in
red. For some time the Statute section in the website will
show the details of the changes.

One salient point in the new Statute is a new Clause 10 setting
up the Friends of ALPS. This was in answer to appeals from
non-Lyceum past members who regularly attend and enjoy the
Association’s activities and wanted a greater sense
of belonging. The AGM readily accepted the proposal. Friends
of ALPS will not be paying a fixed subscription but will be
invited to give an annual donation. They will be able to attend
Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings with an observer
status.

Another important point is the decision to update membership
fees from 2007: from Lm3 to Lm5 for members and from Lm25
to Lm30 for life members, or the nearest equivalent in euros
(to be decided in January 2008).

NEW COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION

The Council of Administration for 2006 is made up as follows:
President George Stagno Navarra, Secretary-General Alex Borg,
Treasurer David Abela, Deputy President Joe Fenech, Vice-President
Tony Caruana Smith, Assistant Secretary-General Charles Calleja,
Members Tony Aquilina (Chairman Membership Commission), Dr
Nazareno Azzopardi (Philanthropic), Alfred G. Formosa (Social
& Cultural), Oscar Galea (Civics), Joe Micallef (Lyceum
Youths), Laurie Vella (Communications & Publications).
George S. Grech, a former Headmaster of The Lyceum, remains
as the coopted permanent member of the Council.

“PITAZZ U LAPES”

The Association’s first philanthropic project for 2006,
“Pitazz u Lapes”, has yielded thousands of exercise
books and pencils for the children of Arequipa Mission in
Peru, run by Malta’s Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP).
The project was directed by ALPS’s Philanthropic Commission
Chairman Dr Nazareno Azzopardi with the willing help of the
whole Council of Administration, but especially of Council
member Tony Aquilina.

Besides the primary, secondary and Junior Lyceum schools
that participated in the project there were also a number
of well-wishers who don’t have any children or grandchildren
at school, but still volunteered to help the collection after
hearing about it through radio or media. The collected items
were packed in boxes at Dar Guido Saliba in Pietà and
later passed to Fr Louis Mallia of the MSSP’s Centru
Animazzjoni Missjunarja for shipping to Peru in a container.

A big vote of thanks goes to all who helped, within the Association
and without, and a big “Well done” to Dr Azzopardi
for the way he handled the project.

LOVE YOUR VALENTINE

This year’s Valentine’s Day Dinner proved to
be another huge success, with more than 80 couples attending.
The large turn-out meant that the Coastline Hotel had to move
the ALPS event from the planned Lacosta Restaurant to the
larger Coastline Suite. The happy atmosphere was helped along
in no small way by singers Christian Arding and Steve Cole,
with the former getting all into the mood and the latter taking
it from there with his great sense of humour and the way he
made the audience participate.

In a throw-back to 24th June 2005, when ALPS and the Friends
of the Manoel Theatre had organised a very successful barbecue
in the very same Coastline Suite to raise funds for the Help
Amanda Smile campaign, ALPS Assistant Secretary Charles Calleja
announced that Amanda would finally have her longed-for operation
on the following Monday, 20th February.

The unusual feature of every man at the dinner presenting
his better half with a red carnation, thoughtfully provided
by ALPS, was made even more meaningful this year with the
men reading out a short poem, composed by President George
Stagno Navarra (who else?), who also organised the whole thing.
At the end of the evening George went around distributing
Baci di Perugina to all present, and when everyone opened
them up at the same time one lucky guest found that she had
won a weekend for two at the Coastline Hotel on bed-and-breakfast
basis.

Another surprise was finding out that ALPS Secretary-General
Alex Borg and his wife Sonia were celebrating their wedding
anniversary. All Council members gathered on the stage and
called the couple out to receive a special anniversary gift.

SIXTIES NIGHT

By special request from several ALPS members a Sixties Night
is being organised at the Bella Vista Hotel in Qawra on 17th
March
. For just Lm6.25 per person members and friends
can enjoy a sumptuous buffet complete with water and one glass
of wine, with a disc jockey thrown in for good measure. Care
has been taken to provide space for dancing to the music.

Bookings are open from Social & Cultural Commission Chairman
Alfred Formosa on telephone 21 383486, mobile 9924 6574, e-mail
agf313@yahoo.co.uk or by mail at “The Cottage”,
20/22 Tar’ Giorni Road, St Julian’s SGN 07. Please
don’t leave it too late: another large turn-out might
make finding late placements rather difficult.

LYCEUM BICYCLE MARATHON

It was with a sense of great pride and satisfaction that
ALPS was represented at the official handing over of a mini-bus
to the Muscular Dystrophy Group at The Lyceum. The vehicle
was partly acquired with part of the proceeds of the 2005
Lyceum Bicycle Marathon. The outstanding payment will be made
with part of the proceeds of the 2006 event, which will be
held between the 24th and 26th March, again
with the full collaboration of ALPS.

Another beneficiary of this year’s marathon will be
the Providential Homes for the Handicapped. The expected funds
are badly needed for the extensive refurbishment of a complete
floor of one of the three villas at Siggiewi.

ALPS members and their friends are earnestly exhorted to
visit the marathon and give whatever financial help they can
afford for the greater success of the event. Besides direct
financial contributions, even having a drink or a snack from
the well-stocked bar will in effect be helping.

FOUNDATION DAY CONCERT

What with the Sixties Night on 17th March and the Lyceum
Bicycle Marathon on 24th to 26th, it has been felt that also
putting on the now-traditional Foundation Day Concert around
the 20th March (the actual date that ALPS was founded) would
have been a bit top-heavy. It has therefore been decided to
hold the Foundation Day Concert on Saturday 1st April
(no, seriously, no joke).

The programme is still being put together by Joe Fenech,
and more details will be forthcoming in the March issue of
ALPS News. But please pencil the date into your diaries because
it will be worth attending…

SPIRITUAL RETREAT IN MAY

Unless the Council comes up with some other activity for
late April, the next appointment for all ALPS members and
Friends of ALPS (they are officially part of us now) will
be the now-traditional Spiritual Retreat at Manresa House
outside Victoria, Gozo.

Members and Friends are cordially invited to attend the full
day on 20th May, when there is a probability
that a meeting will be held with the new Bishop of Gozo Mario
Grech.

The full retreat will be between 19th and 21st May, but there
may be less than a handful of rooms available at Manresa House
on full-board basis. Those who would like to try their luck
can get in touch with Secretary-General Alex Borg (see masthead
for details), who will also appreciate an indication by those
who intend to attend only on the Saturday, for catering purposes.

ANOTHER CLASS REUNION

Yet again ALPS News is willingly helping to publicise a planned
class reunion of Lyceum Past Students. This time it is for
students who entered The Lyceum in Hamrun in 1955 and completed
Form 5I in 1960, and it will be held on 17th March.

Readers of ALPS News who “qualify” for this reunion,
or know somebody who does, may contact ALPS member Emmanuel
Chetcuti on telephone 21 334276, mobile 7933 4276, e-mail
at emchet@euroweb.net.mt or by mail at 5 Triq Bonavita, Sliema
SLM 13.

The unfortunate coincidence of this reunion on the same date
as ALPS’s Sixties Night brings us to suggest that ALPS
members planning any such activities would do well to check
with Secretary-General Alex Borg in order to avoid dates clashing.
It is almost sure that a number of people involved would like
to be able to attend both events without having to choose.

CALLING ALL PUBLIC-SPIRITED A.L.P.S. MEMBERS

The Chairman of the Malta Playing Fields Association, ALPS
member A.M. Bonello, has requested ALPS News to publicise
a request for public-spirited ALPS members to come forward
and join the MPFA on its executive committee. Quite besides
this request, ALPS member Alfred Micallef Attard joined the
MPFA last year as Honorary Treasurer, but more vacancies are
available for anyone who has the well-being of Malta’s
youngsters at heart.

Interested people may contact Mr Bonello on telephone 21
311310 or 21 223877 or fax 21 378738. Alternatively they may
contact the MPFA Secretary on telephone 21 374565.

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 Grima, Tal-Qattus,
Birkirkara BKR 13.

HELP
TO MAKE A.L.P.S. BIGGER AND BETTER

Get former schoolmates to join as members
and participate in our activities.