Mention the word "Mason" to most people, and the images the word conjures up usually skew to the dark recesses -- a world of secret handshakes and code words, of rituals, of don't ask and, certainly, don't tell.

"It's a bunch of hogwash," said Floral Park's Stewart C. McCloud the other day.

McCloud, who has lived in Nassau for the past 10 years, was recently named New York State Grand Master of the organization, which has historically included such members as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Winston Churchill, and even astronauts John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin.

Espousing a new era of openness -- he's called on Masons the world-over to "stop riding the dead horse of a secret society" -- McCloud has even gone so far as to create a directory called "Who's Who in Long Island Masonry."

The directory, a Masonic first, was published this month in the Long Island Mason magazine. Copies of it were then sent, not just to his fellow Masons, but to all manner of area news organizations.

A former railroad man by profession, McCloud joined the organization in 1957.

"Like any group, we have our share of good members and bad," he said. "Here in New York, for instance, there are about 90,000 Masons -- approximately 7,000 right here in Nassau -- and I'd say, 89,900 of them are outstanding, and then, of course, we have a couple of lemons.

"What's most important to remember, though, is that we Masons are a service organization. Our main goal is to make a better community and a better world -- and I'm sure I don't have to tell you, that's a job and a half.

"We've always been very community-minded, and while some of what we've done is known -- scores of children who have developed crippling disorders have been treated free of charge at one of our Shrine Mason hospitals, for instance -- a lot of what we do is unknown by the general public.

"For instance, we have burn institutes in Louisiana, Texas, and Massachusetts, we operate a video child ID program, which is probably one of the most successful programs we've ever run, and we also do volunteer work with senior citizens and with some of the hospitals.

"Speaking of the Child ID program, we were very pleased to recently help in the recovery of two children abducted in upstate New York, one in Buffalo, the other near Rochester.

"So we do a lot," McCloud continued. "But we're quiet about it. oftentimes I think we should bang our tambourine a little bit more, if you know what I mean."

Free Masonry, as the organization is more appropriately known, is the oldest fraternal organization in the world, its oldest authenticated manuscript dating back to the early 1300s.

The organization is said to have been founded by the men who constructed King Solomon's temple, though McCloud readily offered that no one has ever conclusively proved that.

"We don't recruit members, per se," the Grand Master said. "Many of those who become Masons either have attended a Masonic affair, or have approached one of us and simply inquired, 'What's with all the big secrets?'

"The thing is," McCloud laughs. "We really don't have all the secrets people think we do. I mean, you can walk right down to the library on Tulip Avenue in Floral Park and find out just about everything you'd ever want to know about us.

"In many respects, we're not all that different from the Elks or the Knights of Columbus, who we are very close to, by the way.

"And what happens is, a prospective member will ask for a sponsor, and then, in due course, three members of the local lodge will be selected to visit you and your wife and explain what being a Mason is all about."

Installation ceremonies held by the organization at their local lodges or temples are public affairs, the most recent one being held this past Tuesday at the Floral Park Temple.

There are currently more than 600 lodges and 65 Masonic district's throughout New York State.

During the typical installation, those performing the ceremony -- essentially a three-act play -- explain much about the organization, describing everything from the line of succession in the organization to the specific duties of members.

"We say everything," McCloud said. "Of course, if non-Masons are present, we might leave some of the specific wording out."

Though he espouses greater openness and greater communication about the organization with non-Masons, McCloud said he still believes that the handshakes and passwords Masons employ -- the very things non-Masons find titillating and intriguing -- should always remain confidential.

"Everybody talks about the Masons and their secrets, but you know, nothing is really all that secret. Everybody tells their wives about what they go through during their initiation.

"By the same token though, what's wrong with an organization having its own rituals and ceremonies and the like. Not everything needs to be disclosed, and I don't think that clouds the issue.

"Let's talk, for a moment, about passwords, for instance," McCloud continued. "They really are just a device used to identify ourselves. Say I met you in a store or on the street, and I thought you looked like a Mason. I would say a word, and if you were a non-Mason, you wouldn't pick up on it."

In contemporary times, Masons need not be in the building trade, and can actually belong to any profession.

"For several years we've counted supreme court members, state, federal, and local representatives among our members. Harry Truman was a past Grand Master... Astronaut Buzz Aldrin is a member... John Glenn, in fact, is going for his 33rd degree this year."

Of course, many non-Masons assume that part of the reason some people join the organization is to give them a leg up in their career. This is usually said regarding men who eventually go on to pursue a career in politics.

"I really don't know the real answer to that question," McCloud said. "I can tell you that if we sense that's the sole motive behind somebody's interest, we don't welcome them as a member.

"My feeling is, you don't join the Masons to make money and you don't join to climb the ladder of success; you only join to make your community a better place in which to live.

"I honestly feel that the people who've joined the Masons and gone on to do great things in their respective fields, joined us because it was a good organization of people of outstanding quality. Chuck Schumer, for instance, has gone on to have an impressive career in Congress, but he joined the Masons many years before he ever thought of going into politics.

"Now, I'd be a liar if I said no one ever joined for ulterior motives, but I'm confident that most join for the right reasons, to contribute something to the lives of the fellow men and women.

"That's what I'm looking for as Grand Master. I want quality people and I want to follow quality ritual. We're about love of God, love of country, and love of fraternity. And you've got to dress appropriately... in a suit... and you've got to have shined shoes."

McCloud chuckles.

"I must say, being a Mason has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me personally," he continued. "I've met many wonderful people from all walks of life. I can remember one time, sitting down to dinner with [President] Gerald Ford and [Governor] Nelson Rockefeller. We spoke in generalities, of course, but that was an example of the kind of people you routinely rub elbows with in the Masons."

While a "love of God" is a prerequisite to becoming a Mason, practicing a particular given faith is not. According to McCloud, Masons come in every race and practice every religion.

"Our basic rule of thumb is, you must believe in a supreme being," the Grand Master said. "If you don't believe that, then you won't believe in a lot of our precepts."

Women, however, are still not invited to join the Masons per se, though they do belong to affiliated organizations.

"I have to say, if I didn't have the support of my wife Irene, who is originally from Bellerose and the reason I moved to Floral Park, I could never be as active in the Masons as I am.

"She is my greatest supporter. And you know, if you don't have a good woman standing beside you -- forget that stuff about a good woman standing behind you -- you'll never make it."