When I was 18, just out of high school and itching to be on my own, I left Sandisfield. After a brief stay in Lake George, I settled in Springfield, Illinois, where I still reside.

Your story about the Sandisfield Grange in last month's issue brought up special memories - recollections about how my Grange experience has affected my life (and probably the lives of many others) which I hope to share with your readers.

Betty Wilber started all of this for me. She knew that the Grange needed younger people for it to survive. It took a bit of convincing from her, but I joined. To my surprise the experience was fulfilling, and I recruited many other kids from town.

Every summer there was a Grange Youth Leadership school conducted at Nichols College in Dudley. Money to cover participation by one of us for a week was raised by Betty's legendary potluck dinners and tag sales. I was chosen to go three times. We were required to report on what we had done and learned for that week.

That experience has shaped my development and character, and I am proud to say that it made me a better and a successful person.

I arrived in Springfield with little money. I got a job right away with McDonald's. I was just 20 when I was selected for McDonald's management program. That laid the foundation for a 30-year career with the company, something I could never have imagined.

After my time at McDonald's, looking for a change, I embarked on a second career with the Best Buy company in Springfield, where I have been for almost 18 years, recently as semi-retired.

All my life I have been in leadership positions and facing the public which is not always easy. I believe that those inspiring weeks in the Grange leadership school and the opportunity to grow and mature in the Sandisfield Grange prepared me. There I got self-awareness and the confidence to lead by example and to succeed.

It's been a good life. One marriage with three beautiful daughters and a career in one town. No one is surprised that all our girls worked at McDonald's with their father. And now four of my nine grandchildren have working experience at Best Buy. I am ever grateful for what the Grange did for a kid from Sandisfield and everything that has followed.

Thank you for the story.

Dan Platt, Springfield, Illinois