Stan is just telling it like it is. The decline set in years ago and is essentailly age related as older modellers cease to be active and are not replaced by younger people who find other things they want to do.
It's not a question of being defeatist, you simply can't put the clock back. All you can do is consolidate as best you can. Those lost shows are not coming back, the support is no longer there from the visitors, modellers or traders and you can't just conjure it up.
It doesn't mean that model boating is dead, it will carry on for a good few years yet but not on the same scale(sic) that we were used to.
Colin