Tony-
I agree with your observations except that I must not have been to many NMRA regionals.
I may have not been to "many" but have been to enough to know what is going on there and in the broader hobby.
Most Model Railroaders don't belong to the NMRA or participate in any PM activity and have different slants on their
enjoyment of the Hobby.
NMRA activities (other than the Prototype Modeler SIG and Operations SIG rooms at Nationals) don't relate to the
quality level of Naperville.
Even when the NMRA Contest Models are excellent, PM models are built from the owner's interest and passion and
are shown for other modelers to appreciate; not to survive some complicated scoring system and get a ribbon or a punch
on a ticket to a certificate. I prefer the spirit of sharing present at PM events rather than the political intrique and
competition of judged contests.
I understand that Cocoa Beach has some NMRA local affiliation, but it is mainly a PM event and is still very worthwhile.
Charlie