Camping & High Adventure

Maybe, but Hawai'i is just one example of multiple fatal or serious incidents in recent years that have been settled out of court and public view. Higher profile ones make national press, but we all know of local ones that don't. I'm not exactly sure what point you are trying to make, but if it is that you think National will hang local volunteers and councils out to dry in public, then what I am saying is that that is unlikely... ... And this is why I think it's unlikely. This is exactly the kind of thing the scouting organization does not want examined publicly in a court room and to become part of the public record: That despite claims of comprehensive safety programs, a child was nearly beaten to death with multiple adults in the room, including both parents. Scouting repeatedly touts its much vaunted safety programs but this happened to a child playing in a building in sight of adults while participating in scouting. In the face of that, it's almost irrelevant what the cub master was doing or where he or she was. 

More than likely, National is getting rid of existing physical inventory. The requirements may or may not be current, but that has been an issue since I was a Scout.

QUESTION ... What is the change?  I see physical MB pamphlets can still be purchased.  Is it only to emphasize online MB first and then paper second?  Or is national stopping the distribution to scout shops and people need to go online to purchase?  I'm just curious.

"No, it's a little Slack." https://www.amazon.com/Ministry-Beautiful-Henry-James-1818-1896/dp/1372843256

As a Merit Badge Counselor (Bugling, if you want to know), I have maybe three objectives.  Certify the fulfilling of the requirements, help the Scout MEET those requirements and have some "Scouty" conversation with the Scout about their life and adventures.... So I have been  both surprised and gratified in how diverse and advanced some of these Scouts are. For instance, there is a Russian Philosopher named Ivan Goudinov (you can look him up).  How is it these young kids know of his writings?  Like, when the Scout, in my instance, plays one of the calls and then asks  "Mister SSScout, is that Goudinov?  "   Indeed.....