Rotary Klub Warszawa City brought people and cultures together in the heart of Żelazowa Wola

On 27 July 2026, Sonata Restaurant in Żelazowa Wola – a place of special symbolic meaning for Polish culture and national heritage, close to the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin – hosted a remarkable meeting of people united by the ideals of service and friendship.

This was the venue of the Open Meeting of Rotary Klub Warszawa City, Rotary Club Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin and the Satellite Rotary Club Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin Praga, which brought together almost 40 Rotarians and their friends from the local community around one table.

The meeting was opened and chaired by the President of Rotary Klub Warszawa City, Hung Tran Trong, who welcomed the participants, among them Past District Governor of District 2231 Andrzej Ludek, Past District Governor of District 2231 Greg Gregorczyk, Regional Governor for Mazovia and Podlasie Michał Skup, as well as guests from abroad – Charles Gevers, Chair of the Poland–Netherlands Inter-Country Committee and member of Rotary Club De Bilt in the Netherlands, and Christian Crucifix of Rotary Club Spa–Francorchamps–Stavelot in Belgium.

The evening had a truly international character. Representatives of Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ukraine, Vietnam, Italy and Taiwan met at one table. This diversity perfectly reflects the idea of Rotary International – an organisation that for more than 120 years has been building bridges between people of different professions, cultures and nationalities, creating space for cooperation and service across all divisions.

Żelazowa Wola was not chosen by chance. Rotary Klub Warszawa City plans to begin forming a new satellite club here, bringing together residents of the region and people who want to work actively for their community. The meeting was organised above all for the residents of Żelazowa Wola, Sochaczew and the surrounding area, to introduce them to Rotary and to show that it is an organisation open to all people of good will who wish to carry out worthwhile community initiatives together.

The programme featured inspiring talks by Rotarians with many years of experience.

Andrzej Ludek, Past District Governor of Rotary District 2231, spoke about the importance of international cooperation in Rotary, drawing particular attention to the word “International” in the organisation’s name. He stressed that openness to people from different countries and cultures is one of Rotary’s greatest values.

Greg Gregorczyk, also a Past District Governor of District 2231, presented the topic “Why Rotary can be of value to Sochaczew and the local community”. He pointed out that Rotary brings together active residents, entrepreneurs and community workers, creating space for projects that respond to local needs.

Michał Skup, Regional Governor for Mazovia and Podlasie and member of Rotary Club Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin, presented the Rotary Youth Exchange programme and the opportunities that international exchanges open up for young people.

Charles Gevers spoke about the work of the Poland–Netherlands Inter-Country Committee, presenting the first successes of this recently founded but already very active ICC.

Christian Crucifix shared experiences of Rotary in Belgium, showing how the same values are put into practice in different European countries.

A particularly moving part of the meeting were the talks by young people taking part in Rotary exchange programmes. Hazel from Taiwan and Asia from Italy spoke about their experience of the New Generation Service Exchange programme, while Julia from Poland shared memories of her nine-month stay in Taiwan as part of Rotary’s long-term youth exchange.

The young participants agreed that a Rotary exchange is much more than an educational programme. It is a unique school of life, responsibility, independence, openness to other cultures and friendships that often last a lifetime.

There were touching moments, too. The participants offered warm birthday wishes to Anzela Kasian of our partner Rotary Club Zaporizhzhia, singing the traditional Polish “Sto lat” together.

The meeting showed that Rotary is not a closed organisation but a community of people ready to share their experience, knowledge, contacts and energy in order to help others, support young people and carry out projects that serve local communities.

The culinary highlight of the evening was a shared dinner at which Sonata Restaurant served traditional Polish dishes. Conversations around one table encouraged getting to know each other, exchanging experiences and forming new friendships and partnerships.

The evening closed beautifully with a thirty-minute piano recital in which Wojciech Kruczek, Master of Arts and graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, performed Chopin’s best-known compositions. The music of the great composer, heard only a few steps from his birthplace, gave the meeting a special, symbolic dimension.

In closing, the President of Rotary Klub Warszawa City, Hung Tran Trong, thanked all guests, speakers, young people, partners and participants for their presence, openness and an exceptionally warm atmosphere.

The Monday evening in Żelazowa Wola was not only an opportunity to learn about Rotary, but above all a meeting of people who believe that cooperation, friendship and working together can truly change the world for the better.

Rotary Klub Warszawa City and Rotary Club Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin showed the local community that Rotary is open to everyone who wants to share their experience, knowledge and energy in the service of others. The organisers expressed the hope that the meeting in Żelazowa Wola will be the beginning of new friendships, partnerships and joint initiatives for the residents of Sochaczew, Żelazowa Wola and the whole region.