Bishara declared Education Hero for 2007 by Readers Digest

“This is for one veteran?” asked Philip Moscovitch. “I told him “Yup - one or a hundred- it doesn’t matter around here,” said Bishara, who spearheaded the Maple Grove Memorial Club close to two decades ago.

Bishara was nominated by a local resident as a hero last year to Readers Digest - a publication that has 80,000,000 readers.

Another teacher out west tied him for the status, so a writer was sent to each to determine which should win.

Moscovitch’s report of the club’s consideration for veterans helped sway judges towards Bishara, who learned of his Education Hero status last month. “He was just in awe that young people would do this. The respect of the students just blew him away,” said Bishara who, typically and quickly, directs attention to members of the club. “I feel very proud, but I think it’s an award that says thank you also to my family and the students. It’s a wonderful thing for Yarmouth. It’s something like a general who sits and guides things and they receive the attention when it’s the soldier that deserves all the medals. If I’m a hero, it’s with a very small h,” he said.

Bishara said when Moscovitch looked at the history of the memorial club over 22 years – from marching on Parliament Hill, to being the first group to honour the merchant navy and the first group in Nova Scotia to honour women of war. “One of the things I was so proud to tell him, was that if it wasn’t for the young women of this school, the girls, the club would never have taken off because they have been the force behind it,” said Bishara.

In 1993 the club expanded to include members from the Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School.

Bishara says the organization instills good values and goals in the students. He points to the career paths of former memorial club students: three are teachers and two are student teachers at Maple Grove Education Centre and there are five that went on to teach at the high school. “That’s where the proof is in the pudding,” he said. He laughs when asked about retirement. “I’ve been retired two years ago,” he bluffed, then added truthfully, “I’ll know when the day comes but it’s not here yet. If I leave, the Memorial Club will never stop.”

Bishara added that the club would not be as successful as it is today without the strong administrative back up it’s received from past principals, Gary Archibald and Brian Hatfield as well as the current principal, Svein Ravlo. “His support is so intense. He helps this club out so much,” said Bishara.

Bishara’s story can be read in the January issue of Readers Digest or online at: www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2008/01/heroes_of_the_year_1.php