Scouts and guides rally in Valletta

Some 4,000 scouts and guides from Malta and Gozo yesterday marched along the streets of Valletta in their traditional annual rally.

Members of the Scout Fellowship, which is made up of retired scouts, also took part but did not wear uniform.

The parade, including several bands, was led by the Mosta group from the North District.

The scouts and guides marched from the Granaries in Floriana to Palace square, where President and Mrs de Marco, patrons of the respective associations, took the salute.

A microlight aircraft made a flypast over the square when the air scouts marched past.

The Qrendi Scout Group contingent included two British scouts from the 2nd Warrington West (St James) Scout Group within their ranks. They are in Malta as guests of the local group.

Earlier in the morning, a Thanksgiving Mass was said by Fr Anton Briffa, OFM Cap., and Fr Marcellino Micallef, OFM, at the Scout Island Headquarters in Floriana.

This was the third year that the Scout Association of Malta and the Malta Girl Guides Association held their annual parade together.

The events were formerly respectively known as St George's Day and Joan of Arc Day.

The Malta Girl Guides are this year celebrating 80 Years of Guiding in Malta under the theme "Reaching Out".