If it has to be, I would much rather see another organizational team run it. 2 years in a row was a little strange in Vegas, but 3 would just be absurd.
Then make the metronome slower.
Your cross is fairly slow, you could definitely work on that. Obviously finish learning PLL, and slowly learn full OLL. Your F2L isn't too bad, just try to focus on the next F2L pair, rather than the one you are currently inserting.
http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/sensgard/Detail?no=6
These are actually really good, they don't look like they do much but they work reallly well. I use them for shooting too.
I can't answer your question as to where to buy extra washers, but I can tell you that it won't damage your cube in the long run. Mines been without washers for over a year, and it's better than ever.
Why can't you guys just show beginners both, and see which one they like better? Neither method has been proven to be "better" than the other, it's simply personal preference.