@skeptic, I'm pro-Scouting. I'm just trying to provide an objective account of why Scouting seems to be losing the "Battle for Bodies" to youth sports. The YP concerns you mentioned are valid, but if we're being honest, youth sports doesn't carry the same baggage as Scouting. I'm not suggesting Scouting allow alcohol - rather, the youth sports scene is just more conducive to fraternization. Some parents enjoy ordering a drink with dinner or a nightcap at the team hotel. Further, the youth-to-adult ratio is often 1:1. Everyone is responsible for their own child unless special arrangements are made. This simply doesn't work in the woods. A smaller number of adults shouldn't take a group of scouts camping AND consume alcohol. My son is still a Cub, but the thought of taking him and his friends camping for a full weekend sounds exhausting. I'll still do it because I know how valuable that experience can be, but a hotel room sounds like a nice alternative. I still get to spend time outdoors with my son, but I can also hit the gym, log-in to work, and eat properly-cooked food. Can you really blame parents for leaning into that experience? And no, the sportsmanship concerns don't go completely away because coaches have some leeway to make cuts - but it can be an effective tool for reducing distractions. There will always be talented jerks who escape accountability because they are high performers or well-connected. Most club teams will serve as many youths as possible, provided they have enough volunteers, your child is well-behaved, and your check clears. 🙂 I see a lot of value in both programs.

I hope they make it work. They will be forced to figure out how to do it without merit badges. That could be a good learning experience for other camps. I wonder what kind of program they'd put on for scout units. My old troop has gone to Bear Lake, which also has little to do with the BSA anymore, and the scouts really liked it.

Correct.  And that is why I would decline to sign the card if the Scout had not completed the requirements.

Thus, the unit leader signs the blue card again after the counselor completes it. That's the check the merit badge is earned. 

No. Please read Guide to Advancement, 7.0.4.7 "In most cases, with a fair and friendly approach, a Scout who did not complete the requirements will admit it. Short of this, however, if it remains clear under the circumstances that some or all of the requirements could not have been met, then the merit badge is not reported or awarded, and does not count toward advancement. The unit leader then offers the name of at least one other merit badge counselor through whom any incomplete requirements may be finished. Note that in this case a merit badge is not “taken away” because, although signed off, it was never actually earned. "