The Early Youths:
If we go back some years ago, starting from the late fifities and the sixties, we find evidence that Youths within the Society of Santa Marija and King George V Band Club of Mqabba, Malta were already pretty active. If we talk to some supporters who nowadays have reached their Sixties, they all talk with nostalgy about the activities they used to organize during those early years (1960's). One example we could speak of is undoubtfully the Aurora Dramatic Company, full of Mqabba Youths, who used to organize regular teathral and musical activities in the main Hall of our Band Club for Mqabba People. It's a pity that due to the phenomena of emigration all this had to cease to operate during the mid-sixties.
As we said earlier, due to the emigration phenomena, even the King George V Band had to reduce its activities, reason being the lack of local bandsmen. However during the seventies we find another group of youths from Mqabba, all members and supporters of the Society of Saint Mary and the Feast, joined in a group to start learning music under the leadership of the late Leonard Farrugia. And so we find that the Band began to increase its musical activities. As if it was not for these youths we can rest assured that nowadays we cannot have any bands in Mqabba !!
Official establishment of a Youth Section:
However, mentioning all these activities of Youths within our Band Club, there was never an official organisation of Youths which could work directly for and on behalf of youths. The only organisation in Mqabba we could find at those times was the Mqabba Youth Centre which during some periods used to be rather organised. As years moved further, and the eighties made their way along to the nineties, the Committee of the Club, realising in mind that in the modern world, by itself it started to be a difficult job to administer all the things involving the Society, the Band Club, and the Santa Marija Festa. Hence we find that within our Society an exercise was done to update the Rules and Regulations of the Band Club (In Maltese 'Statut'). Result to this was the forming of Sub-Committees. Examples are the Women Sub-Section, that of the Decorations, etc.
It was in 1993 when the Administrative Committee of the Club proposed an idea to a number of Youths frequenting the Society and Band Club. The idea was to form a Sub-Committee comprised of Youths, forming a set of regulations, and then officially launch the 'Santa Marija Youth Section' within the Society of Saint Mary and King George V Band Club of Mqabba. The main aim from the very first beginning was that of gathering together all the youths frequenting the Club and/or working or supporting our Festa, and while organising activities pointed to them, help and lead them to work together with one main aim in mind. The festa of Santa Marija celebrated by our Society every year in August. As from the very first beginning results started to show. The number of youths frequenting the Club began to increase and more and more youths started to give their contribution towards the Society and the Festa.
The first activity which officially launched the Santa Marija Youth Section was held in December 1993 with a Mass at St. Basil Chapel in Mqabba, followed by a Get Together in the Band Club. So, a new page in History of the Society of Saint Mary and the King George V Band Club of Mqabba was written on that day.
As from that day onwards, the Youth Section never stopped from working. Many innovative ideas arose and lots of activities were organised. The Section also helped to train new faces in administration, and as result we see from time to time new faces in the Highest Level of the Society Administration. One of the aims behind the Youth Section forming was 'Investing for the Future'. And looking back to the years between 1993 and nowadays, we can see that the investment done during these years, is giving good results.
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