You're on the mark, Scouting has gone away from its origins. I've read a lot of Baden-Powell's writings, have Scout handbooks from the past, and you can literally see the shift from an outdoor "manly" focus to a more sensitive style of Scouting. While I do agree that a lot of the stuff in the current Scout handbook has validity, I wouldn't mind seeing a shift back to the old Scout traditions of woodsmanship. So much can be learned about life, just by being in the woods. I'm not talking tree-hugger stuff (although, that has its place, too). I'm talking about true bushcraft (survival) skills, that can form the foundation for the rest of a young man's life. I wasn't involved in Scouting when I was young, but I have a Dad that had me in the woods doing all of that "huntin', fishin', trappin', campin' stuff" that served me quite well in situations where my military training was lacking. Just the confidence builders alone are enough to transform a young Scout from being a timid follower to a self-reliant leader. One more thing I've learned, and I can't really pass this on to my Scouts: chicks dig it! Remember, we're talking about teenage boys here. If that's not incentive for a teenage boy to learn survival skills, then I don't know what is!