I was not there, so I am not sure in what context any discussions were held prior to the beginning of any of the scale events. But I can bring up some points in the rules that perhaps were discussed and followed, correctly or incorrectly, during the contest.
1. For Sport and Profile Scale, the rules are clear. The total score consists of the static score and the average of the two best flight scores if 3 or more rounds are flown. If only 2 rounds, the single best flight is added to the static score. For Fun Scale, the single best flight is added to the static score.
1.a. There are provisions in the rulebook to hold events that deviate from the rules for local contests. Such "unofficial" rules should be published or otherwise available to contestants well before the contest. For a Nationals level (AAAAA) contest, there are no provisions to deviate from the AMA rulebook for listed '"official" AMA events. To hold a "pilots' meeting" just prior to the start of the actual contest is not a valid basis to change the rules for that contest without the risk of a formal protest being filed.
2. If there was a deviation to the rules in the manner the static scores were calculated in the total scores for the CL Scale events, a protest could have legitimately been submitted. "Protests concerning the conduct of a meet ... will be considered only when presented in writing ... to the Contest Diretor no later than one (1) hour after the close of the contest..." Regardless of the scoring procedures used at this Nats, it appears that no formal protest was submitted by the one hour cutoff period after the contest, so the scores will/should appear to stand. A protest could have been initiated at any time from immediately after the pilots' meeting to one hour after the posting of the final scores for any deviation to the official rules that were not announced prior to the Nats.
For the record, I AM NOT VOLUNTEERING TO RUN ANY SCALE EVENT AT ANY NATS.
Keith