FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

GCS AT 65 OLDER, WISER, BIGGER, BETTER?

In my 13th year as Head of School, I certainly do not pretend to be an expert on the history of Glenelg Country School, but I can tell you something about being older.

There was a time when 65 years old was considered a bit long in the tooth and certainly old enough to “retire.” Clearly, as a society, we have blown by that concept. As far as independent schools go, however, 65 is still relatively young. There are independent schools that are older than the nation.

As we know, Glenelg is a palindrome—a fact that implies a sense of balance, but also, is slightly quirky. Indeed, there are some enigmatic qualities to our character that continue to define GCS. For example, the colonial estate our school occupies, the school itself, and the nearby town are all named after a parish in Scotland. Yet, we choose the Welsh dragon as our beloved symbol. I see this as representing two singularly proud and independent traditions that gave us a fierce foundation for our own personality. The dragon was an inspired choice; the other option considered at the time was the Ghosts—perhaps a nod to “GiGi” the Manor House ghost–but it is difficult to imagine fans cheering “Let’s Go Ghosts!”

Another quirk: if we are in Glenelg, why is our mailing address Ellicott City? The idiosyncrasies of the United States Postal Service made it so. Early on, our mail had to be picked up daily at the Glenelg Post Office, but as the school grew, and we needed the “luxury” of having our mail delivered to campus, the USPS required us to change the address to Ellicott City.

Another progressive fact about GCS is that the first two Heads of School, Marjorie Dunn and Beatrice Pfefferkorn, were women—at a time when this was uncommon. I am the ninth Head of GCS, and the last four Heads (Fred Rheinlander, Charlie Miller, Rye Chapman, and I, all men and all happily still kicking) represent almost 55 of the school’s 65 years. That stability in leadership is becoming rare in school circles, and is, I think—perhaps somewhat selfishly—a considerable asset.

Our diversity is another unique asset that sets us apart from many other schools. Coupled with our integrated programs and active learning models, which we featured from our inception and other schools are only now catching up to, we always represented a unique option. The “country day school” concept of a school with a campus that valued outdoor activity, but was not residential, was new in the 1920s and is still unique. Our bucolic setting sets us apart.

I could go on about the singular qualities of our school, but older also implies some acquired wisdom, and hopefully, attendant growth and maturity. A look at our Alumni Wall is enough to show our physical growth, with graduating classes now often featuring more than 80 students. Large for GCS, but in the “real world,” still small.

Over time, we have also grown to appreciate and understand more about who we are. The banners that currently fly from the light posts around campus boldly state the values that have become synonymous with GCS: community, civility, creativity, diversity, and integrity. We all could add others, or perhaps declare them differently. But, especially in the current environment, they loudly ring as counter-cultural, and that is what we have always been.

Finally, while many schools were founded by visionary people, our Founding Families, and in particular Kingdon and Mary Gould, imparted a singular attitude that continues to energize our daily life as Dragons. While we always intend to be academically and culturally rich and outwardlooking and worldly, we also expect to be a family, to support each other, and to ensure the wellbeing of the students in our care. As our alumni base grows and we hear of the accomplishments and exploits of our extended Dragon family, it is clear that these values have stood us in good stead over the decades.

So indeed, we are older but still young. And I submit not only bigger, but also wiser and better. These are the signs of a life well-lived, of vitality, innovation, and dynamism. The characteristics that have always made GCS unique still carry our school forward.

Happy 65th, Dragons!

Greg Ventre