In other words you're saying, adjust the width at the bow to balance, front to back, the last strip on the hull before putting on the keel strip, right?

Yes, you can balence the fore and aft with wedge shaped strips if that is the look you want to present. However they for and aft do not have to be balanced.

I assume that you also terminate, glue, the keel strip to the inner stem.

When I have an inner stem, yes.