New GM High mascot to be chosen this week
Lorien Strange | Feb 11, 2025 | Comments 12
Images are from left, Goat by -Rita-👩🍳 und 📷 mit ❤ from Pixabay; Grizzly by Sage Scott from Pixabay; Eagle by Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay; Bobcat by Todd MacDonald from Pixabay; Gecko at Green Mountain by Shawn Cunningham for The Chester Telegraph.; and Lion Image by G.C. from Pixabay
By Lorien Strange
©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC
The original, 50-year-old mascot was considered racist and outdated and had been challenged by students for several years. The controversy came to a head when the state passed a law that prohibited the use of names and images that depicted a racial or ethnic group of people. About a year ago, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District assigned GM Principal John Broadley the task of developing a plan to come up with a new mascot.
The GMUSD board will need to approve the students’ choice before it becomes official. In the meantime, Broadley has been talking with Superintendent Layne Millington and Vermont Principals’ Association Executive Director Jay Nichols to ensure that whichever mascot is selected abides by TRSU’s Nondiscriminatory Mascots and School Branding policy.
A committee selected by Broadley met last week to review the results of a survey sent out by the student council to GM students in December. As Broadley announced at a GMUSD board meeting later that month, the initial survey garnered about 140 responses and 14 to 16 potential mascot names.
Broadley told The Telegraph in an interview on Saturday that the committee had narrowed that list down to five names:
- Bobcats,
- Eagles,
Geckos,(seen Update below)- Goats and
- Grizzlies.
A giant metal gecko already graces the outside wall of the cafeteria wing.
UPDATE: According to several sources in touch with The Telegraph on Tuesday morning, Geckos is not on the list, despite what the reporter was told. Instead Lions is. We are currently seeking confirmation on this.
UPDATE WEDNESDAY: Principal John Broadley wrote to the reporter: “Where we may have got crossed over or confused is where we talked about some of the other ones, which included the gecko, which I thought was an interesting choice. But when the committee picked out the five, that was the five that was there, and that’s always been the five.”
The students have until midnight on Thursday to vote for their favorite. The results will be announced at its The Chester Winter Carnival on Friday and on social media. Later this year, the school will hold a contest to design and vote on an accompanying logo.
According to Broadley, the mascot committee included representatives from GM teachers, administration, staff, parents, members of Broadley’s Community Relations Committee, the student council, alumni and a few members of the public who Broadley said had been very involved in last year’s meetings.
Selina Meisenhelder, president of the Chester High School/GMUHS Alumni Association, told The Telegraph in a text message that “[t]he Alumni are enthusiastic about the new mascot. We played an active role in the selection committee … With students making the final decision, we are hopeful that this enthusiasm will encourage more students to engage with the alumni community.”
Broadley said that his role was only to advise the committee only. “I’ll be pleased whatever they choose,” he told The Telegraph.
He confirmed that he had considered race and gender as factors in selecting the committee members. While he “didn’t necessarily” consider geographic representation and is not sure if there are committee members from each of the towns within the Two Rivers Supervisory Union, he felt that the various towns were “well-represented,” specifically mentioning Andover, Cavendish, Chester and Ludlow. Baltimore and Mount Holly are also part of the TRSU.
When asked why the school did not recruit members of the committee through a public announcement, Broadley said that “with the two years of anxiety around the mascot, we wanted to be very discreet in our process to avoid that anxiety and nervousness.”
“It has a good amount of stakeholders,” he said of the committee. “It might not be everyone in terms of how everyone feels they ought to be represented. Is there room for more people? Probably.” He emphasized that the focus of the process was on current GM students and their opinions.
Broadley added that he and TRSU Superintendent Layne Millington are open to questions the community might have but that he hopes response to the new mascot will be overwhelmingly positive.
In the end, Broadley said, “It doesn’t matter what mascot you wear. It doesn’t make you play sport better — or maybe it does, I don’t know, but it shouldn’t. But it’s important to have something to be proud of.”
“The kids wanted it, the kids are doing it, and here it is,” he said adding that 93 percent of respondents to the initial survey had indicated they felt ready to select a new mascot.
Filed Under: Andover • Cavendish • Chester • Education News • Featured • Latest News
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Editor's Note: Due to the recent repeated comments from some readers, including those using aliases, which is against our stated policy, we will be closing comments after an article has been up for eight days. We will allow one comment per reader per article. As always, first name or initial and last name required. COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT THEM. Again, no aliases accepted.
It is a bitter sweet day for sure. It is my last chance to say good by to the word and meaning of Chieftain. the meaning is all about leaders, nothing more a title not mascot. It was put in front of the school board for being raciest and pointing to a specif group. It was never proved to be the case. A few wanted Chieftain out and over rode the hundreds who knew exactly the meaning, use and intent of the great word. Some on the school board listen to facts and reason others. Had an opinion from the start? I was there for most of all the meetings and asked members of the board what was so raciest or offensive about Chieftain and it’s meaning? There was never any real explanation. I talked with State Senator Dick McCormick who help draft the Act of the Mascot bill. Senator told me they had no problem with the Chieftain and they knew what it meant and stood for. So a rushed majority formed on school board and decided to RETIRE the the name. I am sad to see the Chieftain go and go in the way it did! That being said I think the students of 1971 did a great job on choosing the Chieftain. It was never a Mascot, someone told me chieftain was a title and it was, Leader! This being said I feel it is time to move on and let the students of GM once again find a fitting new beginning for the school and it’s communities to rally around. I look forward to there choice. In closing did anyone ever consider PUMAS meaning large cats or Mountain lion? Maybe they might consider replacing Lions with The Green Mountain Pumas?
For many this is a last tribute to the word,meaning and salute to the word Chieftain. In its fair well it should be known that Chieftain was never found guilty of racist tone or targeting any certain group. The school board did not find just cause and only thing some could do is rush to retire the great Chieftain name. The state was on the side of Chieftain. I talked with Senator Dick McCormick about this. They understood exactly what Chieftain means, leader of people. So yes few did take down the Chieftain with no righteous evidence. While many hundreds understood the true meaning.This is the last I will comment on this matter. We now with the students will welcome a new title for our school. I will say good by to Chieftain and welcome something new!
Bob,
Look up!
There are quite a few eagles here in Vermont. I’ve seen them from the Connecticut River in Rockingham to right overhead here in Chester.
Grizzly ? None in Vermont
Eagle? Not very local
Goat? too domestic
Lion? The picture looks like an African Lion but it would be
better if Catamount is used.
Bobcat? Lot’s of Bobcats around here. So some kind of feline
is my choice.
I still think “The Carlin’s” would be most appropriate.
How about the Zucchinis …….they are Green and Gold
and don’t offend anyone unless you leave a large one on there doorstep. But seriously….I’m surprised leaving out the Mascot is not an option (Green Mountain). From my experience attending many GMUHS sporting events the best and most heard cheer was always GO GM !! So whatever the decision GO GM! And maybe the alumni could have some say.
Mt Abe in Bristol already had the Eagle. Add Mountain Lions to the list. The Green Mountain Lions.
I have been offering up the name Mountain Lions for years. The Green Mountain Lions
I am so excited for these students to have a fresh start and fun mascot! They have ushered in a slew of victories and are an incredibly hard working and talented group of young people! Can’t wait to curate cheers and represent proudly!
I can’t imagine why Gecko isn’t on the list. Green Mountain Gecko’s. My son and I came up with that months ago. We are both former GM Chieftains and support the student body decision. Come on, it’s way better than GM Goats and more original than GM Eagles. Write in campaign!
As Lori Gallagher Witt wrote:
“I prefer to think it’s social politeness, if I call you Chuck and you prefer to be called Charles. I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you’re using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?”
It is very sad that a handful of personally offended people made a sideshow out of the chieftain name and all the history that it stands for ! I believe this was just a personal agenda to try to push their own beliefs on entire school and everyone that has gone there over the last 50 years and it was never in the best interest of Green mountain