RE: Den Chief must be first class...
I must be the source of this urban legend. But I never tell anyone that it is a BSA policy. I am the cubmaster, and I will not approve any boy who is not first class as a den chief.
Frankly, though, I really don't want a first class scout, either. I prefer the den chief be an eagle scout, quartermaster, or ranger. If they are in OA and have gone through YLT, that's who I want. The more Boy Scout I can get, the better.
11 year old tenderfoot scouts do not make good den chiefs. They are just big cub scouts and their service is usually of lit