The Annual General Meeting of the Ramblers’ Association of Malta was held at the Hotel Phoenicia last Saturday, the 6th of February.

Amendments to the Statute were approved after healthy discussion but what did not go down well with the members was the announcement by the president Lino Bugeja that he was not contesting this year’s election to the committee. He will be turning 80 this week and thought it was time for him to call it a day. This, he quipped, would help lower the average age of the committee. After all even bishops are expected to resign at 75, he added with a smile, so he thought that it would not be correct of him to stay on any longer; he had even prolonged his stint by too long, but now his health warrants otherwise.

Association Secretary Alex Vella, speaking on behalf of the committee and members, thanked Mr Bugeja for virtually dedicating the last five years to further the objectives of the Association, which he was instrumental in founding in 2005. Having worked side by side with him during this time, Mr Vella said that no one better than he knew the altruistic dedication of Mr Bugeja and assured it was not the usual cliché to state that “his loss will leave a void difficult to fill.”

Mr Vella moved a motion to confer upon Mr Bugeja the title of Honorary President of the Association “ad vitam” which the members present acclaimed unanimously. Mr Bugeja thanked the applauding members and assured his support and help to the Association as best his health would allow.

The seven members that will make up the new committee of the Association are: Joe Agius, Romano Cassar, Mark de Marco, Saviour Grech, Michiel Paetzel, Josette Sultana, Alex Vella. Two other members under 40 years of age will be co-opted to the committee by the elected members, according to the terms of the new statute.

Ramblers Association of Malta

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