GRAND REUNION OF LYCEUM PAST STUDENTS
The Association of Lyceum Past Students is now in top gear
in its huge efforts to organise a Grand Reunion of Lyceum
Past Students to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first
day of lessons in the present premises of The Lyceum at Hamrun.
With the active collaboration of the Head Master, Mr Godwin
Zammit, the Grand Reunion is to be held at the Main Hall of
The Lyceum itself on the evening of the anniversary – Saturday
1st October 2005.
Although the idea first started out as a reunion for all
past students who went to the new Lyceum on 1st October 1955
(Form I or higher), it then developed into something for all
Lyceum past students of any age who would like to attend and
meet as many former schoolmates and teachers as possible.
We already know that a number of past students living abroad
will be holidaying in Malta at that time, and have jumped
at the opportunity. The number of expressions of interest
is already very satisfactory, but since there are thousands
of Lyceum past students there could still be many more.
Current membership of ALPS is not a prerequisite for attending
this Grand Reunion, although members have been instrumental
in getting the ALPS Council of Administration in touch with
several past students who are not currently members of the
Association.
The ALPS secretariat is writing to all members and as many
other past students as possible, outlining the scope of the
event and enclosing an application form – invaluable for planning
purposes. The letter says that Lyceum Past Students will be
welcome to bring along their wives, girlfriends or partners
to the Grand Reunion. The ladies, too, will be happy to meet
former schoolmates or other acquaintances from the 1950s.
Once the applications have been received, formal invitations
will be sent out in September 2005. The occasion will be taken
to launch this year’s edition of The Chanticleer, the
ALPS magazine, which among other items will feature highlights
of ALPS’s tenth anniversary celebrations and other more
recent events.
Of course, if any number of Lyceum past students decide to
become members once they have seen the organisational acumen
of this most active of ‘old boys’ associations
in Malta, the Grand Reunion will have served another, very
welcome, purpose.
Past students who would like to attend the Grand Reunion
may contact ALPS Secretary-General Alex Borg on telephone
21 386812 or Council member Anthony Aquilina on 21 373706.
And the more names they give of former schoolmates (preferably
with addresses or telephone numbers or e-mail addresses) the
better. …
HELP!!
Although the main item said that the occasion of the Grand
Reunion will be taken to launch this year’s edition
of The Chanticleer, the plain truth is that the Council of
Administration would have liked to have issued it much earlier
this year. But it is also true, as ALPS News has pointed out
before, that we still need a certain amount of advertising
to break even.
Thanks to the education received at The Lyceum over the years,
for which we are all grateful, most past students hold responsible
positions in private industry or are in business themselves
and can therefore make their own decisions. The Council of
Administration appeals to all Lyceum past students, irrespective
of membership of ALPS, to place advertising of their own businesses
or convince their employers to do so. Thank you all …
DAR GUIDO SALIBA
With the willing help of all Council members, each in his
own way, the new ALPS headquarters, Dar Guido Saliba, is steadily
settling down in its new role. The official opening of the
headquarters was given ample coverage in the local media.
ALPS members or other Lyceum past students who could help,
individually or collectively, with a limited amount of office
furniture (suggestion: a computer and/or a desktop to place
it on) will be welcomed with open arms. His or their donation
will be gratefully and publicly acknowledged.
SUCCESS IN CAMPAIGN TO “HELP AMANDA SMILE”
The organisational success achieved by the Association of
Lyceum Past Students and the Friends of the Manoel Theatre
in the barbecue to help raise funds for an operation in Canada
for young Amanda Attard has already been covered in the July
edition of ALPS News. But here comes news of the real success
– the financial aspect.
The barbecue itself and the raffle of valuable prizes together
with the surrounding publicity campaign raised a total of
around Lm2,000. On receipt of the official news release Il-Gens
Illum helped by launching a campaign of its own for donations
from readers, with the management promising to top it up from
a special fund for such deserving causes. This latter
campaign is still open.
Even with the willing support of Air Malta, which has promised
to carry Amanda and her parents free to London and any of
its other European gateways when the time for the operation
comes, the operation will still cost some Lm40,000. Before
ALPS and the Friends of the Manoel Theatre got involved the
child’s parents had collected Lm25,000, which means
that the ultimate goal has not yet been reached. But the Association
of Lyceum Past Students is very proud to have given its share.
Well-wishers can still contribute with deposits in
bank account 075039560050, Amanda Help Me to Smile Fund, at
HSBC.
| For those who have not yet paid their ALPS membership for 2005, the address of Treasurer David Abela is “Juniper”, Triq Ganni Grima, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara. Do please reach for those chequebooks . |