Rotarians mark 100th anniversary

A set of two stamps depicting Rotarians, both worldwide and in Malta, is being issued by the philatelic bureau of Maltapost tomorrow to mark the 100th anniversary of this organisation.

The stamps, with face values of 27c and 76c, have been designed by Martin Bonavia and offset printed by Printex Ltd in sheets of 10 on Maltese Cross watermarked paper.

The 27c stamp depicts Dar il-Kaptan, the respite home for people with special needs in Mtarfa, which the Rotary Club Malta is helping to refurbish as part of an ongoing project.

The 76c stamp depicts the international logo used by Rotary International to commemorate their 100th anniversary.

The Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA, was formed on February 23, 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name Rotary derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

Rotary International came to Malta in 1967 and its first president was the late Anthony Miceli Farrugia. Since 1978, Rotary Club Malta has formed part of the Sicily and Malta District of Rotary International, which today groups together 63 Clubs in Sicily and two in Malta.

To commemorate this centenary year, Rotary Club Malta is financing an extension of Dar il-Kaptan, which will cost about Lm40,000. Fundraising efforts are taking place.

Rotary Club Malta was instrumental in the conception of Dar il-Kaptan and in the procurement of the premises and its initial refurbishment. It has therefore taken particular interest in the home's needs since its inception in 1989 and has recently raised funds to have it fully air-conditioned.

This two-stamp set is available from all 31 Maltapost branches in Malta and Gozo, from the mobile unit and from the Maltapost philatelic bureau, in mint or cancelled format, as a presentation pack or souvenir folder.

Further details are obtainable from the philatelic bureau through philately@maltapost.com (tel. 2123 9153), or from the Maltapost website www.maltapost.com.