Standardisation is possible, but is it desirable? We treat Associations as independent entities, and for each Association we set the points boundaries to get as even a distribution as possible of summits between the bands, so this is why there tends to be differences between adjacent Associations. I haven’t looked closely at EA1 to 4, but it is likely that if we gave all four a single points banding then one will end up either short of high scoring summits or with too many, depending on which way we standardise. If we went further and standardised all of EA to the same points banding half of the Associations would have no ten-point summits. If we went further and had a world-wide standard then no European country would have a ten-point band. Our system might look irrational but it gives as much incentive as possible to Associations.
Sorry I wasn’t clear, Rob. I was refering to the number of activators claiming German Associations as their home Association. Visitors don’t appear on the German Honour Roll.
As for future numbers of hams, that is the future’s problem: for now numbers of participants in DL have never been higher.