Daniel M. Luft (27)
2021-2022
Biography
DANIEL MICHAEL LUFT was born in Meriden, Connecticut on December 6, 1969 to Alan and Vera Luft. He attended Thomas Hooker Elementary School, then Washington Middle School, and then graduated from the Electronics Shop at H.C. Wilcox Regional Vocational Technical High School in 1987. Upon graduation, Dan attended Mitchell College for one year, after which he decided to become an electrical contractor and to join his family’s business, Dalco Electric Incorporated of Meriden.
He attended the State of Connecticut technical adult education program for four years in the evenings to qualify for the journeyman’s, E-2 electrical license. In 1999, Dan took and passed the test to earn his E-1 unlimited electrical contractor license.
Dan continued to work for the family business for 25 years as an electrician, project manager, and estimator. In 2012, Dan opened his own electrical business, All-Pro Electrical Services, LLC, which he continues to operate today.
Dan married his wife Tammy in August 2001, and together they live in Meriden with their two furry children, Cable and Toto- a Schnauzer and Yorkshire Terrier. In his free time, Dan is an outdoorsman and loves to hunt and fish. In the summer months you’ll find Dan and Tammy around the fire at their campsite at Hidden Acres Family Campground in Preston. In the winter months you’ll find Dan, the “trail boss”, leading the way at a high speed on the frozen snowmobile trails of New Hampshire or Maine.
Dan was initiated as an Entered Apprentice on May 3, 1999, was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on June 7, 1999, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on June 21, 1999.
He served as president of the Meriden Fellow Craft Club of Meriden in 2003-2004, and after serving the term of one year was elected to the position of Treasurer and still serves in that capacity.
In December 2005 he was elected Worshipful Master of Meridian Lodge No. 77 and served as Master throughout 2006. As a credit to his commitment to his mother lodge and the respect of his brothers, Dan has been appointed Chaplain for six years and currently serves in that position.
As Master of the lodge in 2005, Dan created a Christmas Tree Fundraiser for the Lodge which still continues today. It would not continue if it were not for Dan’s dedication, hard work, and commitment to the lodge. At the other lodge events, like the Daffodil Festival potato sales you can also find Dan leading the way.
When the Meriden Masonic Temple Foundation sold the former masonic temple at 112 East Main Street and purchased the new location in use today, Dan was most influential in that process. Dan served as the general contractor that planned and organized all of the work that you see in that room today. There is no way we can express in words the gratitude all Meriden masons have for this work. He continues to serve as an active director in the Meriden Masonic Temple Foundation and is chair of the building committee.
Dan was exalted in Keystone Chapter No. 27, RAM in February 2000 and served as High Priest from 2006 to 2009. He was greeted in Hamilton Council No. 22, R&SM in March 2000 and served as Thrice Illustrious Master in 2017. Knighted in 2000, he is a Past Commander of St. Elmo Commandery No. 9. If it involves York Rite Masonry, you’ll find Dan involved in it.
Dan was Invited to join the Council of Anointed High Priests of Connecticut in 2006 and invited to join the Council of Anointed Kings of CT in 2016. He became a member of the York Rite College 17 of Connecticut in 2008 and is currently serving as an officer in the line. He presided as Eminent Commander of St. Elmo Commandery No. 9 of Knights Templar in Meriden from 2011-2012.
Dan Joined the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Connecticut and has been serving in the progressive line since 2015. He is now sitting as the Grand King. In 2017 Dan accepted the Invitation to join the Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon in Nutmeg Chapel 29 of Connecticut. In 2014, Dan received the Ephraim Kirby Citation from the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Connecticut for Outstanding service to Royal Arch Masonry.
In 2018, Dan was Invited to join the Knights of the York Cross of Honour and is currently serving as an officer in the line. Dan was also an active Shriner of Sphinx Shrine in Newington, Connecticut in the Temple Guard Unit from 2001-2017.
In 2019 he was installed as Associate Grand Marshall for district 4C, and in 2021 he was installed as District Deputy of Masonic District 4C for the Most Worshipful Grand lodge of CT.
In 2020, Dan received the Knights Templar Cross of Honor. This honor is only awarded for exceptional and meritorious service rendered to the order far beyond the call of duty and beyond the service usually expected of an officer or member.
ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
First and foremost, I want to express my sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the companions for electing me to this office. I accept the office of Grand High Priest with great humility and pride for Royal Arch Masonry in CT. I started in the officer line in 2015 with my appointment by MEPGH Richard Eppler. To Richard, thank you for seeing a future leader in myself and having the confidence to set me on this journey to serve our Grand jurisdiction. In the early days I really didn’t know how I would aspire to be the MEGHP someday but as most of us know, if we do the work, the rest usually follows. As the years in office pass and I advanced, the duties became more extended as a rising officer in the Grand line, which as we rise to the challenge, leadership is refined. I have enjoyed the support of the companions in my tenure to this place and am very thankful to be surrounded by such great brothers and leaders. I have learned many things along the way from my journey to the chair. Royal Arch Masonry has evolved along the way. As an active member of Keystone Chapter 27, I stayed fluent in Ritual and participation with the membership. Then the big one hit, COVID 19. Everything stopped and we had to reinvent masonry,as a whole. With perseverance on our side and all the cardinal virtues of masonry in place, we survived. The virtual Zoom meeting was put in place and we were able to maintain good masonic relations, education and keep the companions in touch despite the lack of in person meetings and initiations. This gave many of us a chance to attend Constituent Chapters meetings we would otherwise not be able to attend. My sincere thank you goes out to our JR PMEGHP, Jeff Flynn for his hard work and with some great companions, decipher the new rules of conducting meetings and ourselves during this pandemic. “Masonry notwithstanding still survived”, A quote from a masonic charge, that proves that we can endure anything. Were almost in the clear from this whole adjustment. Its time to “rebuild the rite” and make it great again. I am very excited to start my term serving all of you with some ideas and plans to facilitate this Grand line of officers to serve all of you to the best of our abilities. I am putting together visitation schedules for the officers to visit each of their chapters in their charge, with regularity and constancy to help, aid and assist the craft as we are elected and appointed to do. I know many chapters have fallen behind so to speak with a backlog of candidates and initiations. So, with that said, I am currently working with the Most Puissant Grand Master of the Grand Council of CT to plan one day festivals and initiations to be done on a statewide scale to help out the constituent chapters if their candidates choose the complete the Royal Arch in a timely fashion. I will have a committee that will be calling on all companions who wish to take part in the work and exemplify some the best degree work we can do. Education has been taken seriously by the High Priests in their respective chapters and I Intend to help them continue with that. That is evolving. I hope to see most of you in my travels this coming year as I visit the chapters through CT. I have a long list of jurisdictions I am excited to visit and represent the CT companions and make you proud. Thank you for the confidence and trust you placed in me by electing me to this position.
Sincerely,
Daniel M Luft, Most Excellent Grand High Priest