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Rotary Club Malta, the
first Rotary Club in
Malta
Rotary District
2110
A Part of Our History of Rotary in Europe
The Rotary Club Malta was set up by a group of far-sighted individuals in December 1967, having been sponsored by
the Rotary Club in Messina.
The first President of Rotary Club Malta was the late Anthony Miceli Farrugia who was Club President between 1967
and 1970.
Several attempts had been made prior to this time to set up a Rotary Club in Malta and the late Anthony Miceli
Farrugia was approached by a Rotary Club in Messina to encourage him to set up a club in Malta.
Prospective members were initially wary to go ahead and wanted the approval of the Church in Malta before going ahead.
The charter celebrations were conducted by International President Luther Hodges who presented the club with
its Charter Certificate.
Our club joined the Sicilian District some time after it was chartered and was known as District 190
and then 210, 211 and in 1991 it became known as District 2110.
The first members were not keen to attract publicity and kept a low profile.
Fund raising events were few and the club was more of a gentlemen's club with community services being incidental.
From looking back at the records held in the archives, attendance at meetings was always a problem.
Since then 30 members have served as President of the Club and four of them, Edward Sammut (1979-1980),
Christopher Calascione (1988-1989), Anthony P. Coleiro (1997-1998) and Alfred M. Mangion (2006-2007) have
served as District Governors for District 2110, Sicily and Malta.
To view a list of past presidents of Rotary Club Malta, you can visit the club's web site.
Rotary Club Malta was also the sponsor Club of the second Rotary Club in Malta - Rotary Club La Valette Malta,
which was chartered in 2002 by Richard D. King, at that time the Rotary International President, as well as Rotary
Club Gozo which was chartered in May 2007 by District Governor Alfred M. Mangion.
The club has achieved and experienced a number of highlights:-
In 1992 the International President, Cliff Dochterman, attended the 25th Anniversary of our charter celebrations;
2001 saw the Club's largest humanitarian project that we have participated in when, together with 7 clubs
from the Monza region in Italy, we successfully applied for a matching grant from Rotary Foundation and were
able to purchase a heavy duty generator and medical equipment for a health clinic in Mpeketoni in Kenya;
In 2002 our club sponsored the setting up of a second Rotary Club in Malta, Rotary Club La Valette. The
charter celebrations were conducted by the International President Richard D. King, who presented the Charter
Certificate to the founder President Diana Cassar.
This was therefore the third time that our club has hosted an International President in Malta.
In 2007 our club applied for another matching grant from Rotary Foundation for our Lending a Hand in Africa
project, centering on Ethiopia. This matching grant was accepted in February 2008.
On the 4th.December 2007 our club celebrated its 40th anniversary since its charter celebration, and the
District Governor Salvatore Sarpietro attended the celebration at a dinner held at the Maritime Museum in Birgu.
acknowledgements to the Club Board, members and Webmaster
posted by RGHF Webmaster, Greg Barlow. September 2008 |
