NATCHEZ — Five visitors from The Netherlands spoke at the Natchez Rotary Club Wednesday, telling about their country and their lifestyles.

It was the first visit to the United States for all five, said Niek Stijlen, the leader of the Rotary Group Study Exchange Group.

Stijlen, a Rotarian for 40 years in his home city of Rotterdam, said he has noted differences between Rotary members in his own country and in America.

“In America, the Rotary clubs are quite different. Everyone is engrossed in charity and good works,” he said.

“I’m going to take that back with me and encourage them to be more compassionate.”

Stijlen said Rotarians in his country are charitable but “more at a distance” from their good works.

The four other members of the team included Mathijs Dijkman, an engineer; Maarten Schot, a financial executive; Marije van Mannekes, a medical educator; and Dounia El Baraka, owner of her own communications company.

The five visitors gave illustrated talks about culture, sports, government and history of their country, emphasizing the historical connections between The Netherlands and America in the founding years of U.S. history.

“It’s my first visit to the U.S. and for the others, too,” Stijlen said. “It’s exciting to be here and see the differences between The Netherlands and America.”

The view Europeans get of America from television and newspapers is not at all what they have found, Stijlen said.

“When you’re in the country, living with the families and talking with the people, you get entirely different ideas,” he said.

“I like what I see, and I will tell everyone what I have seen when I return. It’s a different view of America, and I like it.”

Fred Emrick, president of the Natchez Rotary Club, said that is exactly the purpose of the Group Study Exchange.

“This program is set up to promote harmony and build friendships throughout the world,” Emrick said.

The group has visited other places in Mississippi, including Jackson, during their visit.

The Rotary Foundation funds the Group Study Exchange, which provides the opportunity for young business and professional men and women, ages 25 to 40, to travel for four to six weeks to experience the host country’s way of life and to develop professional relationships.

Stijlen, retired director of the water authority in Rotterdam, will visit New Orleans this week along with the rest of the team.

Dijkman, the engineer, already has spent time in New Orleans studying the levee system and exchanging ideas with engineers there on how to improve construction of the levees destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In the early 1950s, The Netherlands, much of which is below sea level, experienced a major flood with widespread damages to property and many lives lost. As a result, the country set out to improve the levee system and built one that now is renowned for its effectiveness.