JANUARY-DECEMBER 2005
| NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS IN 2005: |
62
|
|
| NUMBER OF NEW LIFE MEMBERS 2005: |
8 |
|
| NUMBER OF LIFE MEMBERS TO DATE: |
78 |
|
| NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO DATE: |
532
|
|
| NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEETINGS HELD IN 2005: |
9
|
|
| NUMBER OF ISSUES OF A.L.P.S. NEWS IN 2005: |
9
|
I would like to start my Administrative Report for 2005 by
showing my great appreciation to all members of the Council
and respective commissions for the hard work done during the
whole year, which in my opinion was exceptionally successful.
This holds true for all commissions – Financial, Social, Cultural,
Civic, Communications & Publications, Spiritual and not
least the new Membership Commission. Under the leadership
of our new President, George Stagno Navarra, each and everyone
within the Council put in all his efforts to make each event
a historical success for the association. I am sure that the
ALPS success story of 2005, no less than those of the preceding
years, has made us proud to be one of the leading and most
active associations in Malta.
As has become traditional in recent years, 2005 started off
with the Annual General Meeting. The last week of each January
has become a fixed date whereon the Council of Administration,
collectively and individually, presents the hard work and
achievements during the year to the official scrutiny of members
attending the AGM. For me personally, this year’s AGM
was rather exceptional in that it was the first time since
1994 that I did not have sitting next to me Dr Guido Saliba
as Founder and President of ALPS. After having dutifully shown
our great appreciation for our dear Guido at his funeral,
all Council members agreed to continue on the steps that he
had so resolutely initiated and worked hard to attain – in
short, all that ALPS stands for. At this AGM the new Council
of Administration was elected with George Stagno Navarra declared
by acclamation as the new President of ALPS. It was also unanimously
agreed to include a Membership Commission to work within the
administration of the Association. This turned out to be very
useful to encourage more past students to enroll as members.
The new Council immediately started the ball rolling, and
an overseas tour was organised for February 2005: this was
a tour to Nice and the French Riviera, including the famous
Nice Carnival from 10th to 13th February. A group of 29 members
and their spouses spent four wonderful days based in Nice,
and will certainly long remember their enjoyment of the itinerary.
A big vote of thanks goes to our Deputy President Joe Fenech,
who as an experienced tour leader left no stone unturned to
make the tour another successful event for ALPS.
March was highlighted by various events. During this month
our Association and the administration of the Lyceum joined
forces in the organisation of various activities, including
the annual ALPS Foundation Day Concert and the Lyceum Bicycle
Marathon. These events also highlighted the 50th anniversary
of the opening of the present Lyceum premises in Hamrun.
A whole fortnight of events was organised with great success.
As usual the Foundation Day Concert, held on 5th March, was
left in the hand of our able Deputy President Joe Fenech who
put up the whole programme. The concert ended with a reception
in the foyer. I wish to put on record our thanks to the Choir
of the University of the Third Age under the direction of
Joe Fenech, who year after year perform at the annual concert,
as well as soprano Claire Caruana, mezzosoprano Connie Frances
Zerafa and tenor Andrew Sapiano, with Ms Yolanda Micallef
on the piano.
The Lyceum Bicycle Marathon was held on the weekend 11/13th
March, with over Lm8,000 being collected. This was another
successful philanthropic activity in which ALPS collaborated
to collect money in aid of various organisations for people
in need. After an appeal to our members through ALPS News
the Association presented the amount of Lm100 towards the
fund-raising activity.
A commemorative plaque to mark the 50th anniversary of the
inauguration of the Lyceum in its present location was unveiled.
A good number of ALPS members who were among the first students
there as far back as 1955 attended an impressive ceremony.
April was characterised by a socio-cultural activity that
attracted over 100 members, spouses and friends included a
visit to Fort Mosta, an artifacts exhibition at Ir-Razzett
tal-Markiz, a visit to the Nicolo Isouard Band Club and a
luncheon at Piazza Café, all in Mosta. I take this
opportunity to thank ALPS member Brigadier Claude Gaffiero,
who not only sought and received special permission from the
Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta for our Association
to visit Fort Mosta but also ably conducted the tour of the
fort.
The now-annual spiritual retreat at Manresa House in Gozo
was held from 20th to 22nd May. This can be described as a
most successful and enjoyable experience. Prof. Stanley Fiorini
and Canon Lawrence Sciberras addressed the group of 30 members.
A big vote of thanks goes to Fr Paul Zammit, Director of Manresa
Retreat House, whose help was essential to the success of
the occasion.
The month of June featured another important milestone in
the history of the Association of Lyceum Past Students, because
after eleven years of existence ALPS could boast of having
its own office. It was officially opened on 16th June by Mrs
Irene Saliba, widow of our Founder and first President. I
take this opportunity to thank Mrs Saliba and her family for
their continued support to the Association, and I wish to
mention that it was Mrs Saliba herself who had given the idea
to her husband when was still alive to offer his own former
legal office at Pietà to be used as ALPS headquarters
and office. The office was named “Dar Guido Saliba”.
As our President George Stagno Navarra commented during the
official opening, “how proud Dr Saliba would have been
to see his wish of a home for ALPS come true!”
Also in June, the Association and The Friends of the Manoel
Theatre joined forces for a fund-raising activity with the
noble aim of helping a seven-year-old girl with a rare medical
condition who requires a Lm40,000 operation in Canada. In
order to contribute towards this worthy cause ALPS and the
Friends of the Manoel organised a one-hour concert followed
by a sumptuous barbecue at the Coastline Hotel. Thanks goes
to everyone who in any way gave a helping hand to the great
efforts of the two associations, including a great publicity
campaign through the media, which collectively helped to reach
the amount of about Lm2,400 towards this worthy cause. Also
on the instigation of the joint campaign, Il-Gens Illum opened
a fund for readers which in a few weeks contributed an additional
sum of Lm250.
The annual feast of St Anne at the Pwales chapel was held
during the first week of July. Now another annual event in
the Association’s calendar, this function is becoming
more and more popular year after year. This year we saw both
the parvis and the area immediately surrounding of the chapel
packed with members, friends and local residents of Pwales,
all together enjoying the festive atmosphere. This included
Hoy Mass, which again was animated by the Choir of the University
of the Third Age. After the Holy Mass, which again featured
the presentation of a baby to St Anne, the choir entertained
with a number of popular semi-classic songs with the participation
of soprano Claire Caruana and baritone Kevin Caruana. Light
refreshments were also offered to those present. I take this
opportunity to thank Joe Fenech for his great yearly efforts
to produce the Choir of the University of the Third Age and
chosen soloists to perform during the feast of St Anne Again
the other members of the Council of Administration collectively
worked hard to make the event another great success.
With the current building of the Lyceum at Hamrun marking
the 50th. anniversary of its official opening, the Council
of Administration considered that this would be the right
time to put the wheels in motion for achieving the long-standing
wish to organise a Grand Reunion for all past Lyceum students,
with a special call to all those students who first entered
the Lyceum on 1st October 1955. After prolonged consideration
within the Council it was also decided to put up a plaque
in the school foyer showing the Head Masters of the Lyceum
over the last 100 years. On Saturday 1st October the months
of hard work came to fruition. “What a great, memorable
occasion”, it was rightfully described by ALPS News.
ALPS members and past Lyceum students of all ages, a good
number with their spouses, packed the school foyer, many hugging
long-unseen former schoolmates. President George Stagno Navarra
welcomed all with a short speech, followed by the unveiling
of the plaque showing the complete list of Head Masters of
the Lyceum, including outgoing Head Master Godwin Zammit.
Thanks are due to Lyceum historian and master Winston Zammit
who researched the information for the plaque and gave a brief
background following the unveiling. Education Minister Louis
Galea joined the reunion and after a few words to the large
gathering was ushered by the President to see an exhibition
depicting a cross-section of ALPS activities throughout its
first eleven years. All present were entertained to a reception
offered by the Association.
The great success of the event was brought out more forcefully
by another great success: the enrolment there and then of
over 40 new members. I wish to thank all the Council members
who through their concerted efforts made this another red-letter
day for ALPS. Specifically I thank the newly-appointed Membership
Commission, led by Anthony Aquilina who for months worked
hard to contact as many past students as possible not only
to participate in this special event but also, and probably
more importantly, with a view to increasing membership.
Another socio-cultural event for our members and friends
was held towards the end of October, with a multiple visit
to Ta’ Qali finished off with a light lunch. This included
visits to the Malta Aviation Museum, Mdina Glass and Bristow
Potteries and retail outlet, where after being shown around
the factory the the 80 or so participants enjoyed a sumptuous
Maltese platter complete with dessert.
Unfortunately the ALPS magazine The Chanticleer was not made
available in time for launching during the Grand Reunion,
due to unforeseen technical hitches. This became available
in late October. Most, if not all, of you who have seen it
will agree that this issue of The Chanticleer is the best
ever published by the Association. On behalf of the Council
of Administration I take this opportunity to thank our Communications
& Publications Commission Chairman Laurie Vella for the
hard work and time he put into producing the magazine. Thanks
are also due to all those firms that contributed and sponsored
the magazine through their advertising, most of which materialised
through the contacts of George Stagno Navarra.
November was marked by the now-customary holding of Holy
Mass for the repose of dear departed fellow members, past
students and teachers. This year was the first year that the
list included our Founder and first President Guido Saliba,
the first anniversary of whose demise fell on 7th December.
Our very successful 2005 was brought to a fitting end with
another great event: the Yuletide Dinner held at the brand-new
Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort & Spa. Over 294 members,
their spouses and friends packed the Grand Ballroom of the
hotel for the biggest-ever Yuletide Dinner organised by the
Association. Additionally over 60 couples were attracted by
the special offer of the whole package which included the
Yuletide Dinner, accommodation for one night on bed-and-breakfast
basis and a sumptuous breakfast. I take this occasion to thank
our President George Stagno Navarra who managed to get special
reduced rates for our members through the cooperation of ALPS
Life Member Winston J. Zahra.
This run-through of the events organised by the Association
of Lyceum Past Students throughout 2005 would not be complete
without a mention of the very satisfactory way in which most
of our activities found welcome, free space in the local printed
media. Again this was in great part thanks to the contacts
of our Communications & Publications Chairman Laurie Vella,
who has been a practising journalist for well over 40 years.
The ALPS website, too, is another source of great satisfaction.
Usage statistics for the whole of calendar 2005 show that
the website received no less than 2,964 hits – indeed an encouraging
statistic that spurs us on to greater efforts in 2006.
I could not conclude this Administrative Report for 2005
without thanking again all the members of the Council of Administration
and the various commission chairmen. They always willingly
gave their time to see the Association become better known
and go from strength to strength. Long may this dedication
continue with the active support of more and more ALPS members.
ALEX BORG
Secretary-General
Administrative
Reports: 2003
2004 2005
2006 2007