Club News

A Message From Our President

Summer is right around the corner and with that many of you will be vacationing. Have fun and stay safe wherever your travels take you.

After the May General Meeting, the Historical Society Elder Luncheon was held and everyone attending enjoyed socializing and a very tasty lasagna lunch.

Attached to this Newsletter is the flyer for our Annual Membership Picnic being held on July 21st. Raffle tickets are also included. Please be sure to send in your reservation and include your choice of meal. As always, the members do not pay for their meals but all guests will pay.

The Malta Day invitations will be mailed out in early August. The hotel has blocked rooms for us at a discounted rate. The invitations will provide information regarding room discounts, parking, etc. If you are interested in booking a room, you do not have to wait for the invitations to arrive. Should you wish to stay the night and not drive home, the link to use for room reservations is bit.ly/maltadayrooms Please make sure to plan ahead if you are thinking of attending. We would like to see as many of you as possible celebrating our Malta’s history but we are limited to the number of people.

The date for the 95th Anniversary Dinner is confirmed and will be held on November 23rd. As a reminder, this is separate from the Malta Day Celebration in September. The Entertainment Committee will be planning the event and will keep us updated on the preparations. We hope you will make plans to attend both celebrations.

The Bylaws Committee has completed working on the Bylaws and they will be ready for the Board of Directors to review by the end of June. We will be presenting them to the members at several meetings so they can be reviewed and discussed properly. We are still on track for the process to be completed by the end of the year so that the new Bylaws can take effect on January 1, 2025.

The logo that Consul General Louis Vella and Charles Catania drafted is ready to be used on correspondence that will be going out for the remainder of the year. Thank you to the both of them and also to Karen Borg who made one little change at the Board’s request.

At our May Board Meeting, we approved two new members: Mark Pirotta and Christi Grech Wieden. It is great to see new members that have been participating in our activities and volunteering Thank you to all our members for the continued support you give to the Club.

Thank You,
Mary

Message from the Honorary Consul General of Malta, Louis Vella

Greetings dear friends of the Maltese American Social Club and the Maltese- American Community in California. Because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the monthly meeting for the month of May took place a week earlier than usual. It was rewarding to see everyone.

Memorial Day: By the time you receive this newsletter Memorial Day 2024 will already be in the history books. Nevertheless, it is always inspiring to remember and it is never too late to reiterate and reflect about the significance of this very important and special day. At 3pm on Memorial Day all Americans are encouraged to pause for a moment of silence. For many this day is considered as the beginning of Summer and vacations, although the weather was not too summery this year. More importantly though, it is a day of commemoration. It is a day dedicated to those who sacrificed everything to protect and defend every one of us and our country. Its origins date back to the Civil War. It was initially referred to as “Decoration Day.” On this day we honor especially our military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the US armed forces. Let us also remember Maltese and other service people of Maltese descent who perished while serving in the US military to protect our freedom and our way of life.

Maltese Community in the greater Bay Area: A community is not simply a large group of people or some families that get together every now and then. A community like our Maltese Community is one that besides having a fairly large number of people who identify themselves as Maltese and people of Maltese descent, we are a community because we congregate, organize events, celebrations and we help and support each other. We seek each other and we celebrate each other. As a vibrant community we are also lucky to have various Maltese organizations that carry different mind-set, have different missions, and seek different interests, but they all work in harmony with each other. Those of Maltese descent searching to learn more about where they came from, or where their ancestors came from can easily support one or more of these Maltese organizations. These groups work tirelessly to keep Maltese heritage, culture, social fabric, history, customs, traditions, cuisine, and many other aspects of life in Malta, strong and healthy. Many Americans are proud of their ancestral origins and heritage and so is our Maltese community. We too are honored and proud of our Maltese origin

Maltese Organizations in the SF Bay Area: Many ask about Maltese organized groups in our region and so I thought I list those who are active, but if there are others who are not included in the list below, please let us know. The office of the Consulate of Malta in San Francisco is interested in you and is here to help and to support all Maltese and Maltese- American groups and organizations. Here is the list of organization the Consulate of Malta is proud of and supports: Maltese American Social Club of SF; Maltese Cross Foundation of California; Maltese Heritage Association of the SF Bay Area; Maltese Historical Society; St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church Maltese group; St. Elizabeth Maltese Society; Millbrae-Mosta Sister City Commission; and the San Francisco–Valletta Sister City Council; It would be so rewarding and beneficial to future generations, if young Maltese- Americans could organize themselves and show off their Maltese heritage and their Maltese pride.

Please see this month's newsletter for more of my message.

Always remember that, it is not what we take but what we give that make us rich.