What a place! Who are you?
Although Camp Colton was built and guided for many decades by the local congregation of Colton Lutheran Church, the Lundstrom family has owned it since 1985. Land has been added. Infrastructure has been renovated, but the camp is essentially the same group of buildings and other assets as before. It is a non-corporate, non-religious, private, individual ownership.
We have felt extremely priveleged to be stewards of this property, to attempt to insure its prosperity into the future, for the relatively brief period that will have constituted our involvement during our lifetimes.
Presently, we are a small family-like work group, with each of us wearing many hats. Each is dedicated to the excellence we feel this property demands. We also have many small income streams, so our work is very varied, as well as demanding, and we attempt to be realistic about that fact by putting similar tasks into one time frame each week. This is, if even only slightly, the inspiration for Open House, a time every week when any one can drop in.
That having been said, it may become obvious why it is not even desirable for us to have someone sit in the office all day each day. With 19 buildings and eighty acres and dozens of clients, being on the move is the name of the game. Since you are on our web site, you know we can be reached by email at any time by anyone, and that is the premier way to get our attention. It is easy enough to answer email after regular business hours.
We always urge clients who are interested in holding an event to schedule a personal preview tour of camp hosted by one of us. If your situation is date sensitive, please feel free to email or call (Tues-Fri 2-5) to see if your date is available. This may not be immediately obvious to all, but Saturdays and Mondays are just not realisitc times to ask for a visit. On Saturdays we are doing weddings and retreats! And Monday is our down time to recover and repair the disarray from a weekend here enjoyed by paying guests.
Our clients and neighbors who are curious about the look and feel of Camp Colton, and may want more information without committing to a private tour, enjoy coming to our one of our weekly Wednesday Open Houses. Do not, however, expect individual private conferences during that time unless you prearrange by letting us know you'll need some guidance. At that time, the chapel, lodge, Bridehaven, and several cottages will be open for you to explore, as well as all the grounds. We always have wonderful snacks, a granny's attic of well-loved retired Camp Colton items for sale, and, of course, all the information you need about how to arrange an event at Camp Colton. It is also just a great time to connect and socialize.
If you do have an event preview tour, we won't contract with you at that time, but prefer for you to take some time in making your decision to have your event here. But, we will gladly give you a two-week courtesy hold of your date, when you have had a tour.
Because this is our home. I think your way of looking at it might be reasonable if we could take 200 of our closest friends, who are strangers to you, into your home or office and do whatever we like without your involvement. Our home and workplace IS us. We want to feel at ease with what goes on there. We also happen to believe we have a lot to offer that will help you avoid waste and pitfalls, though we will get out of your way when it is your day.
It is understood that business owners get to choose the style of business for which they want to be known. Often the business itself is an outgrowth of an especially passionate view of the owner.
If you have an idea for a new kind of activity, however, do share it with us. We will accommodate if it feels right and if it requires more than we can do, think about investing with us in this place, so that more can happen! We'd love some additional help. (See Camp Colton Keepers, coming soon.)