b'Our 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign ensures GDS relevance for generations to comeO n September 25, 2019, 250 members of both the GDS School community and greater Greensboro gathered to hear Dr. Michael Thompson, the McLendon Faculty and Parent Education Speaker. A New York Times bestselling author of The Pressured Child, Raising Cain, and Understanding Independent School Parents he is an international speaker and a frequent presenter on the topic of adolescents. The evening was a huge hit and was conceived by the first GDS Board Chair 35 years ago.Charlie McLendon, the first board chair at GDS, left the boardroom in 1973 but never ceased supporting GDS. The Charles McLendon Founders Society continues to recognize those individuals who have made provisions for GDS in their estate plans. Such arrangements may take the form of a bequest, the designation of GDS as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, the establishment of a charitable trust with GDS as the beneficiary, the assignment of a title to a primary residence, or other planned gift arrangement. Gifts are designated or restricted according to the donors wishes, like creating a speakers fund to ensure that GDS has broadly educated teachers.Membership in the McLendon Society signals the donors understanding that the future of the School is a priority now in planning for the ultimate gift upon their death. The result of the McLendon planned gift is dynamic programming that, in part, provides for teacher education. Also, the program supports the Greensboro Day Schools position as the Triad leader in education that transcends the school classroom. DR. MICHAEL THOMPSON2019 McLendon Speaker There have been many families who, over the years, chose to support the School through estate planning, and the most recent example is a testament to GDS.Drs. Dora and Bruce Brodie recently decided to honor GDS in its 50th Anniversary by making a significant planned gift to the 28 | Winter 2019'