“Helping others whilst helping ourselves” Qrendi Venture Scouts give a helping hand to Din l’Art Helwa at the Bir Miftuh Chapel

With the troop section of the Qrendi Scout Group “coming of age” and moving up from scouts to Venture scouts, very little was known at the time of what was to lay ahead in experiences and scouting activities for our young male and female scout members.

Seeking assistance from fellow scout groups, in a relatively short time the Qrendi Scouts were introduced to the President’s Award chairman, Mr. Charles Cilia who was quick to respond and visited our group elaborating on the benefits of the award program.

The President’s award, divided into a progressive Bronze, Silver and Gold award scheme and based on the promotion of personal Skills, Physical recreation, Community Service and expeditions or adventure, seemed as a suitable program, giving leeway to expand into other opportunities.

To fulfill the requirements of the “Service to the Community” section, the Group’s Ventures decided to try something out related to cultural heritage. Coming from a locality rich in Cultural Heritage, this came to as no surprise, as after all, the Qrendi and Birzebbugia Scout groups had previously carried out embellishment works and tree planting at the Bir Miftuh Chapel at Gudja in the past.

Seeking the advice of the Din L’Art Helwa Chairman Mr. Martin Scicluna, the Qrendi group was once again asked if they wished to help out in the embellishment of the Bir Miftuh. Mr. Scicluna explained that a small piece of land adjacent to the chapel badly needed a good clean up from weeds, brambles and rubbish that had accumulated over the years.

“The grounds has been turned into an unofficial dumping site” the chairman explained, “And I know you can do it, as scouts have done a wonderful job in the past and have always helped our association whenever their services were required”. Without hesitation the Group accepted the offer promising to give it their best.

Turning up on site, fifteen venture scout members from the Qrendi unit armed with an arsenal of hand tools suitable for the tasks involved, were shocked to see what this picturesque area synonymous to our medieval heritage had turned out to be. “The chairman was definitely telling the truth”, one venture remarked to the other. ‘ This place could really do with a good clean up”.

“There is only one thing we can do” remarked Scout Leader Louis Sammut to the Venture Scout Leader Mary Pace. “Roll up our sleeves and get the job done”.

Working in small gangs of threes and fours, the Qrendi ventures cut and disposed of two full truckloads of dried weeds and dead branches, rusty oil drums, zinc washtubs. Skip loads of plastic water and detergent bottles were also collected and removed away from site. Dead branches were pruned and brambles that were left uncared to grown beyond control were trimmed, giving the place a cleaner look. Fallen rubble walls and new low walls were reinstated and backfilled with excavated soil from the chapel’s foundations that had previously allowed water to seep into the chapel causing much damage.

The job was painstaking but the results were satisfactory with the group returning time after time to fulfill the promise made to Din L’Art Helwa. In no time through a combined team effort the place the area was returned to its original beauty giving it a greater sense of tranquility.

An experience learnt by the Qrendi Group from this adventure was that by helping others, one would in the same instance, be helping ourselves. By providing their services to Din L’Art Helwa, the Qrendi Scouts had become more appreciative of the chapel’s history and realized the scares that can be caused to our countryside and heritage through irresponsible waste disposal.

By assisting Din L’Art Helwa, the Qrendi Ventures had also achieved all the requirements necessary to fulfill the “Service to Community” section of the President’s award, apart from getting the satisfaction of doing a small contribution to safeguard Malta’s Heritage.

Before finally leaving Bir Miftuh, the Qrendi Scout Group took the opportunity to thank the Chapel’s Warden, Mr. John Gafa for all his assistance in providing special tools, which together with his valued advice enabled them to carry out a more efficient and thorough job.

Venture Scouts from the Qrendi Scout Group carrying out embellishment works at the Bir Miftuh Chapel, Gudja as part of their “Service to the Community” Requirements of the President’s Award.

No Job too large.No Job too Tuff

Qrendi Ventures pruned, collect and dispose of rose and bramble cuttings during the Bir Miftuh Grounds “clean up”

Qrendi Venture Brenda Zammit gives a helping hand in the collection of rubbish irresponsibly disposed of.

The Qrendi Venture Scout Leader Mary Pace and Scout Leader Louis Sammut leading through example together with Venture Jason Cutajar backfilling a low rubble wall with soil excavated from the chapel’s foundations.

August / September 2003