CIRC was founded in 1995. A group of friends and business relations decided to form a social club. Somebody asked: Why do we not start a Rotary Club? And luckily they pursued that idea. The 6 initiators found a Rotary sponsor club, who helped in the startup. None of them ever regretted that they became part of Rotary. First of all it was much easier because the organization and structure was in place from day 1, but more importantly Rotary meant that they all became members of a meaningful network – nationally and internationally.

CIRC’s special position as the only English speaking Rotary Club in Copenhagen (until a year ago when the club supported yet an English speaking club in Lyngby) has meant that the club’s projects have had a strong international focus.

Youth exchange has nearly from the beginning been one of the unique Rotary activities CIRC has contributed to – and each year we have received an incoming student and sent a Danish student out in the world. To see how much this means for the young people is amazing. We send out a teenager and back comes a matured young person.

Internationally CIRC has also been very active supporting Rotary International grant scholars. And we will now have the opportunity again. The district has selected our club to support a 34 old doctor from Nagasaki Japan, who will be working at Rigshospitalet with robotic surgery for 2 years from April next year.

Our charity projects have an international focus. It was CIRC who initiated the establishment of the Shelter Box project in Denmark. This is now a project run by many clubs in district 1470. ShelterBox is truly international as the boxes can be shipped anywhere when urgent needs occur.

CIRC’s other projects have are also world wide: From Siberia with support to a school for deaf children – to Guatemala and Zanzibar with water and sanitation projects. All done in collaboration with local Rotary clubs. And the club is now working on fundraising for further projects in Zanzibar.

The international perspective comes to our club at a regular basis. CIRC has many visiting Rotarians from other countries – passing through Copenhagen. We have a large number of banners representing 45 different countries. The visits really prove the special friendship feeling that always occurs when Rotarians meet.

A membership of CIRC is dynamic and international. Throughout the years there have been members from more than 30 countries. Since 1995 we have had more than 200 members. The turnover of members is a natural effect of having members who are transferred to other countries. The flow of members contributes to CIRC’s DNA as a vital club open to new ideas and not bound up by traditions.

The weekly meetings are a very important part of the CIRC Rotary life. Frien and dship and social contact is much stronger when you meet often and can continue dialogues from previous meetings. The program committees do a great job in finding interesting speakers on subjects many of us knew nothing about in advance. This is an essential part of making it meaningful to be a Rotarian.

Donald Nekman

Founding member in 1995

President 2001-2002 and 2016-2017

Assistant governor 2018-2021