Gentlemen, this is the year 2013 and a half. There have been, what, 38 revisions to the rule book? It's time to bring the Association's measuring science into the 21st century. What year was the currently used apparatus introduced? Will we be using the same thing 50 or 100 years from now? Mr Stinnett's group could be smaller than actually proclaimed.
When was the last time the current measuring device was calibrated? When was the last time the members of the measuring committee had their vision verified or corrected to 20/20 or better? [Butch, for you, this is a rhetorical question] When my neurosurgeon operated on my back recently he was using a powerful microscope, not a handheld magnifying glass. If everyone thinks this is going to be the record that will last till "eternity", then it should be given the rightful science it deserves.
Mr. Stinnett should not have to go off on his own, and use modern day optical science to get a better reading of the dimensions. When a group is thought to be a world record, it's time to use world record-setting science. Heck, even the electron microscope [used as a reference point only] was introduced/co-invented by Germans, Max Knott and Ernst Ruska in 1931.
It's time to bring the NBRSA's equipment, measuring methods and technique into the 21st century.