The members of the youth commission of St Joseph’s Musical Society of Ħamrun are to be congratulated for giving a surprise to residents of St Vincent de Paul residence when they organised a band march around the premises on Thursday, October 28. The initiative was taken with the idea of pleasing both the home’s Ħamrun residents as well as residents in general. The band entered several halls and a number of residents, among them former bandsmen, accompanied the band through the corridors.

The band made it a point of going to the hall where Joseph Matrenza, an ex-teacher who taught for many years in Ħamrun, an age-old member of the St Joseph Band Club and its honorary president, was residing. In a moving moment, Mr Matrenza came out of the room and when he saw the band club’s standard went to embrace and kiss it amid the applause of all around.

He was given a memento of the occasion and he himself addressed the gathering.

He thanked the band club for this gesture and the administration of St Vincent de Paul and appealed to the public to dedicate more time to the elderly, both for those who live in the community and those residing in residential homes.

The Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Care in the Community, Mario Galea, who accompanied the central committee of the band club and the band during the march, said the activity was one which showed how the residents could feel appreciated by the community in which they had lived before entering they decided to join the residence.

He said similar activities should serve as a practical example of how we can show our gratitude, honour the elderly and thank them for the part they played in the community where they had lived.

This activity was part of a whole week’s programme which the youth commission of the band club organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary since its founding as the first youth commission of a band club in Malta.

The week-long celebrations included an exhibition, concerts, receptions, dinners, a band march where a selection of bandsmen of other band clubs dedicated to St Joseph in Malta and Gozo also took part, a Mass of thanksgiving and the uncovering of a commemorative plaque by President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami.

The celebrations were a great success. It was a week where the talents, zeal, work and enthusiasm of these youths really stood out.