Again.    Bugling MB...   Scout attempts to play the call(s). After each attempt, he asks, "Did that pass?"   When I ask, "what do you think?"  He responds, "mmmaybe not(sheepish grin)""...  We part company with a partial, but I do not hear from him again....  It's the high G that get's 'em.   But I insist I hear SOMETHING approximating the call as we both hear it on my ancient CD .   Three brothers arrive with new "Hunting Horns", also seen online as a "Cavalry Horn" ( the short little ones , not a "real" bugle).  I tell them, yes with expertise, the calls can be made on these horns. Are they ready?  One says he played trumpet in his school band last year, but not this year. Why?  He didn't like to practice (honesty !). The other two , younger brothers have never even attempted the new (still in the plastic wrap !) horns they have, that their mom bought for them.  For the time allotted, we instruct and they learn to "buzz".   Can I give them a "partial" ?   Do they have their  Blue Cards, as mentioned in the "prerequisites" ?  No, thought I provided them.  So, the mom didn't get them?   I remind them that they , the SCOUTS need to take some more personal responsibility....   I remind them, they have all my contact info, call me when they are ready to DO the Merit Badge .  That was three years ago.  Never heard back from them. This is an all too  usual thing for me....  I have done this by ZOOM, mom or dad in the background....   Discuss, listen, counsel, come back in two weeks, by golly, I can scan off a new Blue Card to them...  Will they come across somebody who will be that Russian MBCounselor (It's Gudinov for me !)?  Yeah...   It's like we are  not out of the Cub Scout mentality of  "Do Your Best"  as sufficient.  Then there are the few Scouts who come ready.  An hour later, I sign a Blue Card .  A new Wynton Marsalis?  Perhaps.... 

Because unit leaders are not supposed to be trained to supervise; BSA leaders are either trained and certified for shooting sports or they are completely unqualified, there is no middle ground. The liability around shooting sports is so risky that there is no room for the arm chair supervisors of the other BSA programs. 

One big reason why families choose travel sports vs. scouting: parents travel with their child. A lot of adults don't like camping in the woods; whether they don't have much experience in the outdoors, they don't have the equipment, the arrangements are not comfortable, they don't like the bugs, whatever. But they will travel and stay in a hotel. The parents are nearby to keep an eye on their own kids. Many parents today want to spend their free time with their kids. They don't want to ship them off to other adults and leave them in the woods all weekend. 

@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.