A camporee is a gathering of many scout troops. It brings troops and patrols together to do things they could not do individually. Camporees are most often hosted by a local scout district. But they can be larger (multi-district or council-wide), or smaller (just a couple troops).

Tradition

Camporees are often held on a seasonal basis. There are Spring, Fall and Winter camporees (but rarely summer, as troops usually reserve summer for long-term camp and high adventure programs).

Opportunity

Camporees are opportunities for webelos dens to join troops in the outdoors. They get a taste of what scout camping is like and get acquainted with scouts in the troop. Bringing Webelos and scouts together at camporees is important to getting them excited about scouting.

Patrols & Competition

Camporees are opportunities for patrol camping. The best troops make full use of the patrol method, and the best camporees do likewise. Some camporees have lots of patrol competition, where patrols test their teamwork and scout skills against each other. Other camporees are less competitive, but are still structured around scouts doing things in patrol groups.

From the official BSA camporee guidebook:
A camporee starts with the recognition that a patrol is the basic (camping) unit. The patrol demonstrates its very best camping techniques and shares its experiences with other patrols. The camporee involves the type of equipment that can be carried in a pack by boys and can be set up entirely by boys. The equipment thus set up enables the boys to be completely self sufficient for a self-reliant experience over a period of 2 or 3 days.

Creativity

Camporees are often structured around themes.