Club News

A Message From Our President

Il-Festa ta' Santa Maria was celebrated at the Club on Saturday, August 10th. The crowd was not very big because a lot of people are on vacation, but nevertheless, everyone that was there had a great time. The event started with a small procession led by the flag of the United States, the Maltese flag, followed by the Club's flag and the Santa Maria flag. Then there were the neatly dressed, young boys and girls who walked ahead of the statue of our Lady of the Assumption. While this was going on, band marches were being played.

Everyone I spoke to had good comments about the food, which was very tasty. My sincere thanks goes to all those volunteers that set up and decorated the hall, to Gillu Muscat for bartending, to his wife Josie who sold the raffle tickets, to Karen Borg and her sister Kathy, Devin and Francesca, who worked in the kitchen, to Mary Vella, Maria Frendo, and Kathy, who served the food. The raffle prizes included a tablet donated by Karen Borg, a fancy bottle of Italian wine donated by my wife Carmen and a body massager and plaque of the Ten Commandments that was brought from the Holy Land and donated by Eleonora and her husband James Rivera. Thank you for the raffle donations. Great thanks goes to those who cleared the tables and took the tablecloths to their houses to launder and iron them and to all those who in one way or another worked hard to make this event an enjoyable one for all.

There are a number of events coming up in the next few months hosted by the Club and other organizations in our Maltese community.

By the time that you receive this newsletter, the deadline for making reservations for the 90th Anniversary of the Club/Malta Day Celebration will have gone by. I would like to thank all those who sent their reservations in time and will be attending the event. The organizing committee has been working very hard for a few months. I really appreciate all the work that you have done and still has to be done. The Mayor of South San Francisco will be presenting the Club with a proclamation. Unfortunately, His Excellency Keith Azzopardi, Ambassador of Malta to the United States, will not be able to attend.

The Maltese Heritage Association will be organizing a Wine Trip to Sonoma on Saturday, September 21st. The trip will include round trip charter bus transportation from Millbrae, tours and wine tasting at three wineries, a gourmet boxed lunch, complementary gift bag, pastizzi and Maltese cookies. For more information and reservations, contact Frank Gonzales at 650-722-6478, or Gina Deguara Gonzales at 650-704-4171 or via email at gonzales761@comcast.net.

On Saturday, October 5th, the Women's Committee will be holding their Annual Mystery Trip, for those who are joining them. Please make sure that you will be at the Club at the proper time.

On Saturday, October 12th. the very popular Family Pasta Bingo will be held. Bring your family and friends, enjoy the dinner, try your luck, be a winner and yell "BINGO" at the top of your voice.

Please complete the reservation portion of the attached flier and mail it in as soon as possible. Donations of items for the raffle will be greatly appreciated.

The Maltese Heritage association together with the Honorable Consul General of Malta, Louis Vella, will once again be representing Malta at the Italian Heritage Parade on Sunday, October 13th starting at 12:30 pm at Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco. Ride the MHA Cable Car or walk with us along the Parade route. For more information in participation, please contact Julie Orton at 415-269-8428 or via email at malteseheritageassociation@gmail.com or Carmen Orton at either 415-837-8963 or 415-584-6567.

On Saturday, October 26th, The Maltese Historical Society will be holding a Bocce Ball Tournament at Orange Memorial Park in South San Francisco. Please complete the reservation section of the attached flier and mail it in.

Another Family Bowling Night will be held at Sea Bowl in Pacifica on Sunday, October 27th. Come and bring your family and friends and enjoy this event. Fill in the reservation section of the attached flier and send it in, as soon as possible.

A flier is also attached for the bus trip to Thunder Valley Casino on November 2nd. Please complete and return as soon as possible if you are interested in going.

The next General Membership Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 29th, at 10:30 am. Please note that in compliance with our Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has to be formed.

I welcome back all those members and their families who were on vacation and wish a nice and safe trip to all those that are still coming back home.

Saħħa lil kulħadd
(Good-Bye to all),
Brian

Message from the Honorary Consul General of Malta, Louis Vella

Hon Consul (HC) Vella was not present at the August general membership meeting of the Maltese Club, because he was still in Malta. While in Malta, the Maltese Community in California was nevertheless foremost on his mind and on his agenda. He captured every occasion to include, promote and celebrate Maltese living abroad especially those living in the United States of America

Mr. Vella had the opportunity to meet and discuss many issues with the President of Malta, with high government officials, and with local leaders. These discussions are very important and will hopefully lead to the continued pursuit of improving relationships and removing or reducing obstacles that can sometimes come up when dealing with certain personal and public affairs between Maltese Americans and their interests in Malta.

Other significant meetings HC Vella had in Malta this Summer were with officials of Maltese Communities in Sydney, Australia, with the new Mayors and Councils of Valletta, Mosta and IMgarr Malta, as well as with the chairperson of the Valletta Cultural Agency. These were very cordial, interesting and productive meetings. As a result of some of these meetings, HC Vella is asking anyone in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area who loves the city of San Francisco and the city of Valletta, Malta and can volunteer their time, to contact the office of the Hon Consul at 650-631-8200 or malteseconsulate@yahoo.com as soon as possible. More details will be shared first with those interested to take part and later with the general public as well.

The time Hon Consul Vella was in Malta was also the height of the “Religious Festi” season. It was hot but it was magical. For some unexplained reasons, the number of Maltese Americans from the San Francisco Bay Area visiting Malta during the month of August was relatively small this year. Those who did had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy many extravagant and elaborate “Festi”. The heat was intense at times, but it did nothing to slow down the celebrations. On the contrary, the Summer “Festi” in Malta and Gozo seem to continue to get bigger, better and more colorful on the ground and in the air.

The next big festa is the feast of Our Lady of Victories, “IL-VITORJA” . This is another festa favored by many Maltese- Americans. However, we hope everyone is back in the Bay Area right after “IL-VITORJA” celebrated every year on the 8th of September. The feast of Il-Vitorja is celebrated throughout the entire islands of Malta and Gozo but particularly in the towns of Senglea (Isla), Naxxar, Mellieha and Xaghra in Gozo. This feast commemorates the victory of the Knights and Maltese over the Ottoman Empire in 1565 as well as the surrender of the Italian Navy in WWII which also took place in Malta. Il-Vitorja is also the religious celebration of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Those who will be enjoying the festa of il-Vitorja in Malta in September, we hope will hurry back to celebrate Malta Day/90th Anniversary organized by the Maltese Club on Saturday, September 14th.

Grazzi Ħafna

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