This is a program from Hiram Lodge No. 81, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dating to 1957. The bi-fold document is printed on cream-colored paper stock and features a patriotic and fraternal design in blue, white, and gold, incorporating Masonic symbols such as the square and compasses and the all-seeing eye.
The front cover lists the Lodge leadership, including Elective Officers, Appointive Officers, members of the Standing Committees, and Past Masters. Names listed include Gustav A. Perdue, Harry C. Moyer, Walter Seibert, Frank C. Stewart, Peter Lance Jr., Edwin W. Dix, Charles W. M. Hort, Henry S. Burton, Samuel Projan, Charles A. H. Jaekel, Lewis H. Miller, H. Walter Burmann, Frank B. Partricio, Lewis B. Partricio, Frank H. De Pue, Edmund V. Verner, Louis B. Partricio, Jr., Chester R. Johnson, Jr., Gerald C. Stewart, William H. Ax, Ned McKinley, Geo. H. Stifel, Joseph F. Wineland, Charles E. Peifer, H. E. Albertson, Chas. S. Walton, John A. L. Boyan, Geo. H. Green, George H. Stifel, Lewis J. Green, Raymond C. Setliffe, John Stecco, Arthur W. Watts, Jacob Abrams, Francis Walsh, and a partially obscured Shewbrooks. Some individuals are listed as holding multiple positions. The cover indicates that Stated Meetings were held on the second Wednesday of each month at the Masonic Hall in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. The program notes the year A.L. 5957, corresponding to A.D. 1957, and the Lodge's founding in A.D. 1881 (Anno Lucis 5881).
The interior details a Stated Meeting held on August 30, 1957, specifying the time and location. It includes notice of an upcoming vote on the petition of Christopher Norman Cornell. Matters pertaining to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, including a Quarterly Communication, are mentioned. An In Memoriam section acknowledges the deaths of Brothers Edwin William Hannum, Horace Ellsworth Kelley, and Robert Morrison, recording their dates of passing. The program also covers practical matters such as dues payments, rehearsal schedules, and notification procedures for illness or bereavement. Contact information is provided, including the telephone number Victor 4-4208. The names of Grand Secretary George A. Avery, and Brothers Jacob Gross, Samuel Polis, and Harry Tellis appear in the contents. Herbert C. Heaberg served as the Lodge Secretary. The program's dimensions are approximately 6 inches by 9 inches when closed. The program provides insight into the administrative and community functions of a Masonic lodge in the mid-20th century. Refer to the accompanying images for details of both the front and interior sections of the program.