I certainly don't trust people who make it clear that they don't think I should be where I am to give me advice or support. I am curious about whether that it's girls only scout craft catch-up says something about just how stiff that cultural resistance is in that council. In principle, just make it a scoutcraft basics camporee open to all new units. But why didn't they? The comments that remain make me wonder if the reason is that so many male scouts are opposed to girls that it wouldn't work to help the girls, or that the council had solid reasons to think it would end up there.

I agree that the quality of the program is going to fall on the den leaders to make sure they are choosing to do the engaging fun stuff instead of just what is easy for them, but that has always been the case - that's not a change.  I'm not sure what you mean by "wiggle room" in what's required where, but in the case of Bear Habitat (which is rank required) there is only one activity suggested for requirement 7, which is the one I posted above. Unless Scoutbook doesn't have requirement 7 as required, which I can't check right now, it would seem that Bears are still required to make animal sign observations. That verbiage is even the same as before. Or am I missing something here? I was hoping that seeing that it wasn't in fact the case that you can walk the mile on a track without paying any attention would be heartening, but perhaps it wasn't. May all beings be happy regardless.  

On of those "what if" things for me.  I was an ASM for a troop at Spangdahlem AB in the sixties, predating I believe the Normandy COR.  But it would have been on our radar for sure if was there when it happened.  As it turned out, I was moved anyway to a remote sight with no scouting, and only seven of us.  Later I took a pass to France, but did not get to Normandy, though wish I had now.  I did visit the Luxembourg cemetery, and the one at Cambridge in England.  The first one, Luxembourg was a real eye opener for me, as I had yet to see Pearl or Arlington.  Cambridge is unique in that it has a huge wall with names engraved on it; all men and a few women that were lost in the Atlantic from sunken ships and downed planes.  When I did go to Arlington in 85 with our Jambo troop, I noted a somberness that overcame most of the scouts and leaders, especially those with Veterans as leaders.  I watched one Scouter stand just a ways back from the Wall, near the two statue guards and bow his head.  His scouts gave him space, and then he walked to the Wall and found a name or maybe more, bowed his head again and finally turned and walked away.  The look on the faces of the Scouts was respect and sympathy.  I have a photo of myself reflected in the Wall looking at the name of a HS friend, and you can see me with his name in the reflection.  A very cool picture.  That is why we try to always participate in local Veteran related activities, especially Memorial Day and Veterans' Day.

Hmm, CBS link still works for me. Here is same story via youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_8nxlfT0Q4  

The page is blank. I once camped in a US graveyard in France as a scout. I went to Normandy with my parents but that would have been a great scout trip.