A veterans organization is now the proud new owner of a Boy Scout camp in Monroe County.
Officials with the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America announce Camp Trexler in Polk Township is sold to pay for thousands of sex abuse claims.
While many organizations placed bids to save the land from being developed, the Valor Clinic Foundation also plans to use it to help those who fought for our country.
Valor Clinic Founder Mark Baylis is no stranger to Camp Trexler as he shows us around the property he’s now in charge of running. For years the nonprofit partnered with the camp to use the Scout Dining Halls for its veteran food insecurity programs.
Baylis says, "A little worried if the camp went somewhere else, what would happen if we didn’t have access to these dining halls anymore and in the end it all worked out."
Now thanks to Trexler Veterans Initiative, Valor is expanding it’s mission at the camp. Their 7.8 million dollars was chosen as the winning bid for the property by the Minsi Trails Council.
Baylis says, "You can’t put into words what a blessing this was. I mean, God’s Hand was involved in this."
Their goal is to help stop veteran suicide. Since Valor started their program in 2012, several hundred servicemen and women have participated and their suicide rate is zero.
Baylis says, "It’ll be conserved in perpetuity for those that wanted conservation, but we were focused on the preservation and the preservation includes conservation, right? We want it like it is and we want to reuse the buildings that are here."
The Council is pleased they plan to pursue land preservation easements prohibiting future development along with allowing the public and scouts continued access. Those in the community also feel they made the best choice.
“It’s great to help the veterans instead of building more homes over there.”
“That’s good, I mean what else am I going to tell you.”

What drew the benefactors in, besides conserving the land, was the goal of providing veterans job training. Valor had already partnered with Warrior Workforce, their antennas are on Paul’s House.

Baylis says, "What they do is the NextGen equipment, say Verizon or Dish or somebody is putting in, they implement it with their students and put it in test equipment sites around the country. And then the students become start up cadre with the company."
Valor will need to put up about eight new buildings for those students in the same area as the ones that are already there. Right now Valor is leasing the property for a dollar a year until everything is in place.
Baylis says, "After the engineering is completed and the conservation easements are in place, it’s going to transfer to Valor."
Valor will close on the property next week and be the sole occupants in October. Continuing their hand up on the homefront in Monroe County, Nicole Walters, News13.