Chester High/GM alums postpone annual celebration to 2022

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Citing ongoing concern about the Covid-19 pandemic, Chester High/Green Mountain Alumni Association director Jon Clark, a 1977 graduate,  says that the organization will again forgo holding its regular annual festivities — including the parade — this June, but will instead begin planning for the 2022 celebrations.

The association also cancelled events in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clark said that they will hold 50-year anniversaries for the classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 together next year. The Class of 1970 is the last graduates of Chester High School and the Class of 1971 if the first from Green Mountain.

“The alumni association had its first meeting at the Fullerton Inn in 1899,” said Clark, “but the parades didn’t come along until 1948 when the guest speaker was Congressional Medal of Honor winner Merritt Edson, who was a 1915 graduate.”

While the festivities are on pause, the association continues to give out two $1,000 college scholarships each year to Green Mountain High students.

Although he expects that some alumni will get together on their own, Clark said the association is following suit as Springfield, Bellows Falls and Black River have all cancelled their events this year. “I talked with the directors of all those associations and with the governor’s office and they all agreed we should err on the side of caution this year,” said Clark.

Clark said there are positions open for officers and directors to help plan the events. The board meets once a month starting in January and those interested in serving can call Clark at  802-353-6043.