Malta International Grand Chapitre March 2025
The Malta International Grand Chapitre was held in March 2025. The program included a Welcome Dinner at the Excelsior Hotel on Friday the 21st followed by the Induction Ceremony and a Gala Dinner at the Phoenicia Hotel on Saturday the 22nd. A number of organised tours for overseas members were also included over the three day schedule.
Below is an excerpt from the welcome dinner speech by our Chancelier Mr Charles Gatt:
'Confrères, Consoeurs and Guests
On behalf of our Bailli Délégué, Dr. Joseph Xuereb, and the board of the Bailliage National de Malte, it is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all here to our opening event of the Malta Grand Chapitre.
We extend a special welcome to Madame Ilse Duponcheel, the Bailli Délégué of Belgium and a Member of the Conseil Magistral who was appointed by the President to perform the Induction Ceremony tomorrow.
We are delighted with the good response we received for this Chapitre from overseas members, all of whom will be with us tomorrow for the ceremony and the gala dinner.
This evening, we have some of the overseas members, namely from France, from Liechtenstein, from Oman and also from Bulgaria. We have two from Germany. All welcome.
Tomorrow we`ll have a truly international gathering from no less than fifteen nationalities.
Our Bailliage itself is truly international as it comprises a mixture of nationalities. We have members from Malta, Gozitans, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and Italy.
We were established 44 years ago, and next year it will be a great 45th anniversary. I believe the board is already planning something special for the occasion.
Our membership is 70 strong, a small bailliage, compared to much larger countries. But for a country with less than half a million permanent inhabitants, we are doing quite well. We established our OMGD group 5 years ago and now have 22 members. Four new members will be inducted into OMGD tomorrow. On average, we hold 6 to 8 official dinners a year.
We have recently added to our membership a few quite young members, which thankfully significantly reduced the average age of our members.
I hope you enjoyed the pre-dinner reception. I personally much enjoyed the Remy Champagne Blanc de Noir and the delicious canapés
The menu was created for us this evening by Chef de Cuisine Melvin Sammut.....'
You can read the full speech by clicking this link:
Our Échanson Dr Ramiro Cali Corleo then introduced the wines. His comments can be found in the Welcome Dinner Menu along with comments about the dishes served from our Maître Rôtisseur Marc Besancon and Bailli Délégué Dr Joseph Xuereb. Follow this link for the details:
The second evening was of course the induction ceremony followed by a reception and Gala Dinner. Our Bailli Délégué, Dr Joseph Xuereb, gave a short speech prior to the start of proceedings.
'Good evening Confrères, Consouers , Guests.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our Grand Chapitre.
Malta is at the crossroads of a Mediterranean culture dating back over 6000 years and over these millennia has garnered a smorgasbord of cultural influences - in its language, architecture, customs and its cuisine.
Our brotherhood, which traces its roots to 1248, was re-established in 1950, with Malta joining in 1981. As we approach our 45th year, I am grateful and honoured that you have chosen to share the Maltese twist on this worldwide unique concept with us.
It is also our great pleasure that the President has nominated member du Conseil Magistral, Ilse Duponchet, Bailli Délégué of Belgium, to open the proceedings'.
This was followed by the ceremony where in total 42 inductions were made, as follows:
- 2 × Officiers Commandeurs
- 1 × Chargé de Mission
- 6 × Commandeurs (argent)
- 3 × Maîtres
- 12 × Officiers
- 5 × Dames de la Chaîne
- 6 × Chevaliers
- 5 × Membres de l’OMGD
- 2 × Médailles d’Argent
After the ceremony a recepion was held in the Maryanski Porch followed by dinner in the ball room.
This is a link to the pre-dinner speech given by our Chancelier Mr Charles Gatt:
Our Échanson Dr Ramiro Cali Corleo again introduced the wines which were to be served with the dinner. His comments can be found in the Gala Dinner Menu along with comments about the dishes served from our Maître Rôtisseur Marc Besancon and Bailli Délégué Dr Joseph Xuereb. Follow this link for the details:
Besides the dinners, a number of tours were organised for our overseas members. These included visits to the City of Mdina, the old capital of Malta, Valletta, the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea) and finally a full day guided tour of the sister island Gozo. All were greatly enjoyed by the members. As usual they were accompanied by our expert local guide Mariella Bose. Here are some photos from the lunch at Ta Frenc in Gozo on the last day.
And last but certainly not least these are the comments made by Madame Ilse Duponcheel in an email to Mr Charles Gatt (who after twenty years will soon be be stepping down from his role as Chancelier):
'The event was nothing short of exceptional, and knowing that the feedback has been so positive is truly heartening. The honor of leading the induction ceremony was made all the more special by the warmth and enthusiasm of everyone present. But above all, it was your dedication and remarkable service over the past 20 years that made the occasion so meaningful.
What an extraordinary legacy you leave behind!
It was an absolute privilege to share in this important moment of your journey, and I sincerely hope our paths cross again—be it in Bruges, Malta, or elsewhere. The friendships forged through our shared passion are what make these experiences so rich and unforgettable.
With heartfelt thanks and warmest wishes,
Ilse'
If members or guests would like any photos of themselves at either of the dinners as high resolution images please contact me on this email:
Mark Bailey
Charge de presse
Bailliage de Malte
'markandlouisebailey@yahoo.co.uk'
VIVE LA CHAINE!
