I'd just rather see it in a general upward direction with the palm out. Placing it over the heart or to the side looks silly.

This is me being hyper-technical. Boy Scouts make the Scout Sign the way you described, with the arm at a right angle. Cub Scouts make the [Cub] Scout Sign with arm raised straight up.

I need a life.

Well, I think together the old motion looks good. Start with the upper arm horizontal extended to the side and the upper arm pointing with the hand palm facing forward, swing the arm down so that the hand still in the sign ends up over your heart with the palm toward the body. (The elbow is not quite as far down as if you were doing the pledge of allegiance though) Then extend the arm directly in front of you, so that the palm is mostly upward. The arm should be at about a 30 degree angle so that it is about 15 inches directly in front of your right hip. (through the entire thing the fingers of the hand remain in the same position)

The three positions up, over the heart and out are to me tied to the pieces of longest single sentence in the explanation of the fraternity sign in the brotherhood ritual (the one that starts with the word 'Our'). I believe the motion in question was actually done in the ritual at one point.

Randy

If people did atleast that, I'd be happer. :)

Arm position isn't THAT important to me, EXCEPT during our rituals, but wouldn't balk if their elbows were closer to their bodies when there isn't enought room.

As noted, I also don't like it when I see people doing the sign, but with their fingers splayed. They should be tight together (see the illustration in the back of the ritual manual).

Apparently we used to do the arm raised straight up too in our ritual. I'd rather see it done that way, then when people have their arm lower, with the elbow nearer their body.

This is also done with the Scout Sign at meetings to quite people down. I've seen it also done at Fraternity events.

Venturers, btw, do the Venturing sign with the arm at a right angle.