USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > Melrose, Massachusetts, 1900-1950; commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the town of Melrose and the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Melrose > Part 7
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The COMMUNITY ASSOCIATES was organized for philanthropic work in May 1915 at the home of Mrs. William S. Blake on Fran- cis Street. Some sixty women were present, and by the end of the year there were one hundred thirty-nine paid members, with Mrs. Samuel E. Eldridge as president. The work of the Associates included outings for underprivileged children, sewing classes, a dental clinic for children, dressmaking classes, and hot lunches for children. To help support this work amateur theatricals were presented in the Melrose Theatre, and the Grand Duchess Marie spoke in Memorial Hall on April 15, 1931. Two gifts of $1,000 each were made to the Melrose Hospital. The Thrift Shop on Main Street maintained by the Associates has proved a useful project in the financial support of these charitable activities. In 1949 there were one hundred eighty-seven members, with Mrs. Harry L. Russell as president; Mrs. Samuel Sayward and Mrs. Luman G. Clogston as vice-presidents.
An effort was made in 1939 to form a COMMUNITY COUNCIL to correlate all the philanthropic work of the City, but the first annual meeting was not held until May 26, 1947, in the Young
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Men's Christian Association hall, when Ronald H. Winde of the Melrose Health Department was elected president, Mrs. Ben- jamin Bill of the Melrose Girl Scouts, vice-president, Mrs. Wil- liam Tuttle of Kappa Delta Psi, treasurer, with a board of directors including Roy M. Cushman of the Department of Public Welfare, Mrs. Doris Hogan of St. Mary's Parent-Teachers Association, Mrs. Randolph Weber of Phi Theta Xi, Lester Young of the Jew- ish Community Center, William F. R. Aldrich-Ames of the Mel- rose Grange, and George W. Simpson of the Melrose Red Cross Council. In 1949 Benjamin F. Stacey became president.
The MELROSE RIFLE CLUB was chartered by the National Rifle Association in July 1915, and practice was begun on the Wakefield State Range in September. The first outdoor shoot was held on May 6, 1916, but the Club was later merged with the Melrose Fish and Game Club.
On April 6, 1922, some fourteen sportsmen gathered in the office of S. G. Potter on Main Street to organize the MELROSE FISH AND GAME CLUB, with Lewis C. Hoyt as president. Soon afterwards a clubhouse was built on the land of William A. Jefts on Perkins Street, and on February 4, 1931, the Club was incor- porated with nearly two hundred members. Larger quarters and a shooting range were added, but a new location near Long Pond was obtained from G. Irving Steeves on a ninety-nine year lease, and a clubhouse was built facing the pond. This was later burned, but rebuilt on a smaller scale. In 1932 the membership had grown to more than three hundred fifty. In 1949 the Club was still active with a membership of about the same number, Walter F. Neal was president, Louis W. Carbon vice-president, Herbert Brouil- lard treasurer and Ralph W. Gerry secretary.
The MELROSE HUMANE SOCIETY, INC. really began in 1912, but in 1914 "three women, a boy and a bucket" started an insti- tution for helping dumb animals. Miss Emma E. Morse and Dr. Frank Sturgis were active in the work of the Society, which was incorporated May 10, 1921, with Walter DeHaven Jones as first president. Property was acquired at 7 Altamont Avenue with four acres in Saugus well adapted for the work. In August 1939 Mr. and Mrs. C. Clifford Horton of Brockton were employed to take charge of the institution. A lethal house was the gift of Victor A. Friend, and there were other buildings, including a four-room bungalow for the paid agent. This installation was· later abandoned for sale, and the work of the Society was referred to Dr. Cornelius Thibeault, a veterinarian in Wakefield. In 1949
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the Society had two hundred thirty members and Mrs. Percy F. Tibbetts was president.
In 1921 the MELROSE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SOCIETY, previously a branch of the Boston organization, became an independent organization and in 1949 had some four thousand five hundred subscribers. A board of thirty-six directors and an executive committee of nine members were elected. Offices are located at 661 Main Street and Samuel E. Eldridge is executive secretary. In 1949 Paul E. Troy was chairman of the Melrose Chapter.
The Red Cross has been active in contributing three hundred pints of blood annually for the use of the Melrose Hospital Blood Bank, a Home Service in cooperation with the United Armed Services, a Motor Corps delivering patients to various hospitals, garments to Service Hospitals, a Junior Red Cross among the school children, and certifying life savers. It also administers, apart from any Red Cross funds, the Ames Fund for miscellane- ous cases that do not come within the Red Cross provisions. The chief disaster job handled by the Melrose Red Cross was for the victims of the Berwick Street fire in 1946, when the several fam- ilies then burned out were cared for and rehabilitated.
The POND FEILDE CLUB was organized in 1920, with Mrs. Alice S. Johnson as first president and eighty-three charter mem- bers, as a professional and business woman's club. They first met at the KX Clubhouse (now the Legion Bungalow), but later moved to Oak Manor where they hold bi-monthly meetings between October and April. The Club had some two hundred members in 1949, with Mrs. Lucile W. Anderson as president.
The MELROSE ROTARY CLUB NO. 1009 was organized in 1921 with twenty-five charter members and William S. Briry as first president, and was sponsored by the Lynn Rotary Club. It meets weekly at Oak Manor on East Foster Street. In 1949-1950 Glen S. Weeks was president, H. Leslie Trickey, vice-president, Ray- mond H. Greenlaw secretary, and Daniel A. Harrington treas- urer. It had a membership of sixty, and has been active in foster- ing youth activities.
The LADIES OF ROTARY was organized about 1940 and in 1949 had twenty-five members, with Mrs. Benjamin Ruderman as president. They meet at members' homes.
The LIONS CLUB of Melrose was organized and chartered in May 1927 with twenty-five members and I. S. Cowan as first president. In 1949 the membership had grown to about seventy,
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with Lewis K. Scott as president. The Club meets weekly in the Young Men's Christian Association building, and has been active in helping the blind, furnishing glasses to school children, two operations for defective eyesight, and building a home for a blind woman on Tremont Street. It has also given $500 to the Melrose Hospital for the purchase of instruments for the dental clinic, and $100 to the Melrose Public Library for the purchase of film, besides lending them a projector for the children's program.
The MELROSE CAMERA CLUB was organized with fifteen mem- bers in 1933, first meeting in the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion building, and then until 1948 in the offices of the Deering Lumber Company. In 1949 they had about twenty-five members, meeting in the Public Library, and following Lawrence Shaw, Charles Toce was president.
The BOY SCOUTS were organized in Melrose before 1914, but were not very active, and when they were invited to join the Quannapowit Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America in 1929, there were only seventy-five members in five troops, sponsored by the Hillcrest Congregational Church, the Roosevelt School, the First Congregational Church, the Universalist Church, and the Amer- ican Legion. By 1931 they had increased to seven troops and two hundred sixteen boys, and two Cub Packs with one hundred boys. In 1949 the number had increased further to a total of four hun- dred ninety-three boys, Scouts and Cubs, in eighteen units spon- sored by the First Baptist Church; First Methodist Church, Hill- crest Congregational Church, Lincoln School Parent-Teacher Association, the Highlands Congregational Church, St. Mary's Parish, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the United Commercial Travellers of America, with Theodore Cathcart as chairman of the Melrose District.
The GIRL SCOUTS' Council for Melrose was organized in 1920 and now includes twenty-one troops of Girl Scouts and fifteen Troops of Brownies, with a total membership of six hundred seventy-two girls, besides one hundred twenty adults as mothers, leaders, and council members. Mrs. Reginald Monegan was com- missioner in 1949, and Mrs. Priscilla Potter is executive secre- tary, with an office in the Calvin Coolidge School. The Council operates a day camp for the girls at Mount Hood, and cooperates with the State organization which maintains several summer camps. The Council also has a group helping at the Melrose Hos- pital and another at the Public Library, among their service projects.
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The CAMP FIRE GIRLS were organized in 1914 at the First Methodist Church and in 1915 at the First Baptist Church where they are now mainly centered. They have between ninety and one hundred members, Seniors and Bluebirds together. They coop- erate with the Greater Boston Council and have a day camp in Malden.
The FLORENCE CRITTENTON LEAGUE OF COMPASSION is divided into Senior and Junior groups. The Senior group was organized with Malden in 1911, but in 1915 the Melrose group became inde- pendent, with fifteen charter members, and Mrs. W. Frank Allen as first president. The group in 1949 had one hundred fifty mem- bers with Mrs. Leroy Lang as president, Mrs. Ralph W. Pierce and Mrs. J. Palmer Holmes as vice-presidents. They work to sup- port the Welcome House in Jamaica Plain and their hospital in Brighton.
The Junior group was organized in 1944 with eight charter members and Mrs. R. C. Sonnemann as first president. In 1949 there were thirty members, with Mrs. John A. Chisholm as presi- dent, Mrs. David Anderson and Mrs. Addison Winship as vice- presidents. They meet monthly at members' homes and their work is similar to that of the Senior group.
The MELROSE COUNCIL OF CHURCH WOMEN Was reorganized in 1948 as a department of the Melrose Council of Churches. It has no paid membership and is intended to include all the Protes- tant church women. It meets monthly at the various churches, and works to interest the women of the churches in a common religious purpose. The officers in 1949 were Mrs. Mark R. Shaw, President; Mrs. Margaret Lorenz and Mrs. Frank M. Amazeen, Vice-Presidents; Mrs. Charles J. Dynes, Recording Secretary ; and Mrs. G. Burton Milliman, Corresponding Secretary.
The MELROSE MOTHERS CLUB was organized in 1925 with Mrs. Roy M. Cushman as first president. In 1949 it had two hun- dred twenty-five members, meeting in the First Congregational Church, with Mrs. Richard Davis as president and Mrs. Shelton Jones as vice-president.
The PROVISIONAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MELROSE was organized in June 1948 with fifteen members, which had grown to over sixty in 1949, with Mrs. William Hartzell as presi- dent and Mrs. Robert Russell as vice-president.
The first YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION in Melrose was organized June 24, 1858, and met in a room at the corner of Essex and Emerson Streets, but continued for less than two years.
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The present Young Men's Christian Association was begun on December 10, 1890, and held religious services for two months in Westgate Hall, moving to rooms leased in the Westgate Building at 522 Main Street in March 1891. The Association was organized in December 1891, and incorporated in 1892. A movement was then begun for a building of its own, which was dedicated April 1, 1895. This is the three story brick building at 497 Main Street, the ground floor of which is occupied by the Melrose Trust Com- pany. In 1911, with a membership of eleven hundred eight, the Melrose Young Men's Christian Association was declared the largest in the country for a city of comparable size. In 1891 the WOMEN'S AUXILIARY TO THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIA- TION was organized with forty-five members and Mrs. M. W. Lester as first president.
The Young Men's Christian Association has continued as a successful organization, with a membership of nine hundred ninety-seven on October 1, 1949, but serving some four thousand youths in its various programs. The yearly attendance for the boys', girls', and women's gymnasium and swimming classes in thirty-eight weekly classes totaled twenty-six thousand five hundred and thirty-one. Fifty-eight different year around pro- grams are offered for both sexes from the age of seven up. Recently considerable emphasis has been placed on carrying these programs to the people - such new programs as a boys' baseball league with three hundred boys of all ages playing on sixteen teams; one hundred twenty girls playing on seven softball teams; and nearly three hundred men playing on thirteen softball teams. Many new programs were added in 1949, including tennis instruc- tion, finger painting, riflery, girls' swimming team, free swim- ming instruction for girls, a year around Friday Niter for seventh, eighth and ninth graders, gymnastic and hand balancing club for boys, men's varsity volleyball team, and square dancing for adults.
Other regular programs include day camps for boys and girls, Hi-Y Club, Saturday Night Teen Age Canteen, Outing Club for young adults, Braves Knot Hole Gang, annual free swimming instruction for boys, weekly movies and entertainment, three boys' swimming teams, eighteen basketball teams, one men's volleyball team, and a businessmen's class.
During 1949 E. F. Pierce of the Board of Directors was hon- ored twice, once by the local Board of Directors and once by the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Young Men's Christian Asso-
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ciation, for his distinguished service to the Melrose Young Men's Christian Association covering a period of nearly fifty years. Mention should also be made of Fred Lacey, who was General Secretary for some twenty-five years, moving to Salem in Janu- ary 1948.
In 1949 the Young Men's Christian Association trustees included Alfred C. Malm as chairman, William B. Alexander, Dr. Ralph D. Leonard, Lester N. Woodland and Edward L. Page, ex-officio. Mr. Page was also president of the Board of Directors, Richard C. Knight and Russell E. Longshore being vice-presi- dents. The operating staff included John S. Lewis, General Secre- tary; Donald W. Purrington, Physical Director; Betty M. Dick- inson, Girls Swimming Instructor, Day Camp Director, and Office Secretary; Harry D. Normine, Desk Secretary; Maxine Tuttle, Girls' Physical Director; Leonard Clark, High School Canteen; and David Hoyle, Boys' Day Camp Director.
The officers of the Young Men's Christian Association Auxil- iary in 1949 were Mrs. James Geddes, Chairman; Mrs. Clifford Morse, Vice-Chairman; Mrs. Grenville Gerrish, Secretary; and Mrs. Daniel Morrison, Treasurer.
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MASONIC TEMPLE, WYOMING AVENUE
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE FRATERNITIES
Of the twenty or more fraternal societies in Melrose listed in 1900 many have died out, including several temperance societies, although the City remains dry. Among those remaining, the old- est is the ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED ORDER OF MASONS. Follow- ing a meeting of five Masons at the home of Rev. Joseph S. Dennis on July 28, 1856, a larger meeting was held in the old Lyceum Hall on August 2, 1856, with the officers sitting on nail kegs and the members on the floor. Adequate furniture and furnishings were soon installed, however, the name Wyoming chosen for the Lodge and on September 10, 1857, the Grand Lodge of Massa- chusetts issued a dispensation and the first business meeting was held. On October 12, 1857, the charter was received, and the formal dedication took place.
After five years larger quarters became necessary, and a five year lease was taken on the upper story of the original Waverley Building on Essex Street, opposite the railroad station. On Janu- ary 11, 1866 the building burned to the ground, and only the records, tools and jewels of the Lodge were saved. The hospital- ity of Mount Vernon Lodge was then accepted, and plans made for a new Temple. A discussion of the site arose, some preferring that opposite the railroad station, but the gift of a lot at the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Main Street having been made by E. F. Sears, J. E. Westgate, W. P. Sargent and D. D. Wilcox, decided the question. The Waverley Masonic Association was incorporated, the cornerstone laid June 25, 1866, and the present Temple, then considered the finest in New England, was dedi- cated April 24, 1867.
On October 22, 1922, a new organ built by the Skinner Organ Company of Boston replaced the old organ, which had been a gift from Daniel Russell, and which had served so well for fifty- six years.
The Masonic Temple was practically rededicated December 2, 1922, after the first floor tenants had vacated, and the space redesigned for assembly, reading and cloak rooms. In 1949 Wyo- ming Lodge had a membership of seven hundred sixty-six and Albert F. Ford was Master.
On March 10, 1863, dispensation was granted by the Most
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Excellent Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Massachusetts to thirty- eight Companions, mostly from Melrose, to work as the WAVER- LEY ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF MASONS, and they were duly char- tered as such on September 30, 1863. In 1949 the membership numbered four hundred eighteen and Frederick H. Irwin was High Priest.
On March 27, 1865, a dispensation was issued by the Grand Encampment of Massachusetts and Rhode Island to fifty-six Knight Templars living in and about Melrose to establish the HUGH DEPAYENS ENCAMPMENT NO. 20, later styled Commandery. The Encampment was chartered and consecrated in Freemasons Hall, Boston, on February 14, 1886. In 1949 the membership numbered three hundred sixty-five and Leslie M. Collins was Commander.
Melrose Chapter No. 14, ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR, Was organized in 1881, and in 1900 had one hundred members. In 1949 the membership had grown to four hundred fifteen and Mrs. Blanche L. Chase was Worthy Matron.
FIDELITY LODGE was instituted November 19, 1918, with thirty-six charter members and forty Past Masters from other Lodges present for the ceremony. In 1949 the membership had grown to five hundred ten and John D. MacDonald was Master.
The Melrose Chapter, ORDER OF DEMOLAY, was instituted October 17, 1924, by the Middlesex Chapter from Reading. It was reorganized in 1946 and in 1949 had a membership of one hundred sixty with William Russo as Master Councilor and Richard Bean as Senior Councilor. The Chapter celebrated its Twenty-Fifth Anniversary in 1949. During this period some eighteen hundred boys have passed through the Chapter. Ashton E. Gourley, a charter member, is Advisor to the Chapter.
The DEMOLAY MOTHERS' CIRCLE was organized in May 1934 with about twenty-five members. In 1949 Mrs. Josiah C. Philips was president.
The Melrose Assembly No. 7, ORDER OF THE RAINBOW FOR GIRLS, was instituted June 13, 1925 and constituted January 20, 1926. In 1949 it had a membership of about three hundred with Miss Phyllis Moorecroft as Worthy Adviser and Mrs. Minerva Nickerson as Mother Adviser.
The RAINBOW MOTHERS' CIRCLE OF MELROSE was organized in 1935 with ten members to cooperate with the Rainbow Assem- bly. In 1949 it had about forty members with Mrs. Frank I. Hakanson as president.
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The INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS, Melrose Lodge No. 157, was instituted October 6, 1871, in Good Templars Hall, with nineteen members. In 1872 the Lodge moved to larger quar- ters in the Newhall Block and the hall was dedicated December 11, 1872, with thirty-seven members. During the spring of 1877 a fair was held and the proceeds applied to building a brick structure at the corner of Foster and Main Streets, afterwards known as Odd Fellows Block. This was dedicated July 5, 1877, when the membership was one hundred seventy-nine. In 1914 these accommodations had been outgrown, and the Melrose Odd Fellows Building Association was formed which purchased the old Athletic Club building. It was renovated and repaired to meet the requirements of the Lodge and formally opened January 1, 1915. This was later sold, and the Lodge returned to Odd Fellows Hall.
On October 14, 1921, a banquet celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Lodge was held, with the Mayor, Grand Lodge officials and the Daughters of Rebekah as guests. J. Sidney Hutchins acted as chairman. In 1949 the membership of Melrose Lodge numbered one hundred forty-four and Charles W. Young was Noble Grand.
GOLDEN RULE LODGE NO. 23, DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH, Was instituted on October 14, 1874 with forty members and Joseph Grundy, Jr. as Noble Grand, and by 1900 had ninety-seven mem- bers. In 1949 it had two hundred fifteen members, and Mrs. Flor- ence Darling was Noble Grand. Miss Daisie Barrett was Secre- tary, and has been for thirty-eight years, and Mrs. Elizabeth B. Trask Treasurer for twenty-one years.
The WILLIAM M. WEBBER LODGE No. 114, I.O.O.F., was organized in 1921 with twenty-one charter members and five charter initiates. In 1949 it had seventy-one members and William C. Rendall was Noble Grand.
NEW FIRESIDE LODGE NO. 212, DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH, Was established January 2, 1929, with forty members, and by 1949 had one hundred forty-nine members, with Miss Pauline Flewelling as Noble Grand.
The KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS, FORDELL LODGE NO. 115, was organized by James M. Murray and instituted February 19, 1895. By 1900 it had over one hundred members. By 1949 its member- ship was twenty and Arnold A. Stevens was Chancellor Com- mander. Meetings are held in Odd Fellows Hall.
The Melrose Council No. 128, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, was
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instituted on June 16, 1895 by District Deputy James T. Cavanaugh of Everett. Preliminary meetings had been held in McCullogh's Block, 435 Main Street, at which twenty-five men from St. Mary's Parish formulated the plans for a Council. On receiving the char- ter Victor C. Kirmes was elected the first Grand Knight, and regular bi-monthly meetings were held in Westgate Hall at 496 Main Street. In 1900 the Council rented a hall in Newhall's Block at Main and Upham Streets, and became one of the first Councils in the State to secure permanent quarters. A rapidly growing membership brought a removal to the corner of Main and Foster Streets in 1916. A building fund was established in 1921, which enabled the Council to purchase its present home on West Foster Street.
In addition to its other activities the Council was instru- mental in establishing a chair of Catholic history at the Catholic University in Washington, and contributed generously to the Endowment Fund of the Order. In 1949 the Council had about three hundred members and Frank T. Keeler was Grand Knight.
The LADIES' AUXILIARY OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, Mel- rose Council No. 128, was organized March 15, 1908. At first mainly identified with the work of the Knights of Columbus, during the years of depression the Ladies' Auxiliary undertook the additional task of supplying aid to the needy, and welfare work has since been one of its chief concerns, including a Christ- mas party for children each year, and a midsummer party for a day at the beach, entertaining a hundred or more children. In 1949 there were seventy-eight members and Mrs. John Dingle was president.
ST. VALENTINE COURT No. 239 was instituted as a subordi- nate Court of the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters on February 13, 1910, the name St. Valentine being suggested by the pastor, Father Glynn. While primarily a fraternal insurance society, it has its social and charitable programs, and has con- tinued successfully since its organization. It has a membership of eighty-five, both men and women, meets monthly at Knights of Columbus Hall, with Mrs. Sarah Coyne as Chief Ranger.
Melrose Lodge No. 1031, BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS, was organized May 15, 1906 and instituted by the late William P. Hill, District Deputy, with seventy-six char- ter members and Larkin Davis as Exalted Ruler. Meetings were held in Odd Fellows Building until the present Elks home on Myrtle Street was taken over on November 21, 1913. Since then
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the membership has grown to two hundred one and in 1949 Joseph Greenberg was Exalted Ruler.
Organized by American citizens, with an emphasis on patri- otism and the American flag, the fraternity has also been active in various lines of welfare work. The Lodge has given an iron lung to Melrose Hospital, holds a party for children on Christ- mas, and distributes baskets on Thanksgiving Day and Christ- mas, besides other charitable activities.
The LADY ELKS ASSOCIATION was organized in 1937 with eighty-seven members and Mrs. Albert Walton as president. In 1943 it was reorganized as Emblem Club No. 89 with fifty mem- bers. In 1949 Mrs. Frank Hamblin was president and Mrs. Charles A. Carbone past president.
On October 14, 1913, a meeting was held to organize the PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY, Melrose Grange No. 331, with one hun- dred thirty-six charter members and Levi S. Gould as Master. The Grange was incorporated in 1930, and purchased a lot on Berwick Street, but has not yet put up a building. It now meets in Knights of Columbus Hall, and in 1949 had some two hundred members, with Albert Kohr as Master of the Grange.
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