What Is District Camporee . . .

A camporee is many things - camping fun for youth, the thumping of hundreds of feet on the way to an evening campfire, and the blue smoke from fires cooking stew or ham and eggs. It’s the patter of rain on many tents at night. It’s the ripple of wind-blown flags in the morning sun. It’s catching the idea of teamwork in a patrol. It’s learning to carry out an order to help the team succeed.

A camporee can be a perfect showplace for the Scouting program and, therefore, go far beyond just being a gathering of youth.

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 Scouts and can be set up entirely by Scouts, allowing them to be completely self-sufficient for a self-reliant experience over a period of two or three days.

Camporees are held by the district. They may be held at any time of the year. Camporee programs may include contests and demonstrations of outdoor Scouting skills as well as campfires, games, and field events. These activities can show Scouting at its best.

Camporees can help the district meet part of their goals. They stimulate overnight camping, they help units to attain part of the minimum annual 10 days and nights of camping, and they help prepare units for long-term camping.