The club marked its anniversary with a barbecue, bringing together past and present members on the exact date it was founded in 1886.
President Chris Butt said though much had changed in 140 years, the current running through GSC remains the same.
‘It’s still driven by volunteers, and really our principles haven’t changed,’ he said.
‘Our aim is to get people to swim – to learn to swim – on an island. That was a lot of, even the initial, reason behind the club.’
The club’s beginnings were very different from the competitive programme it runs today.
It launched as a men-only club which trained during summer. Its first events were held in the harbour, at Albert Dock, with swimming dependent on the weather and tide. Mr Butt said historic press cuttings showed that the Lt-Governor and Bailiff attended events, alongside visiting military teams. As well as conventional racing, it held a few unusual competitions, for some good old-fashioned fun.
‘They had cigar and top hat races and umbrella races,’ said Mr Butt. ‘All things that would certainly not be happening now.’
Lifesaving formed part of the club’s early history, while water polo and diving at La Vallette became later associations.
The anniversary celebration included a display of some of GSC’s oldest trophies, including cups dating back more than a century.
Mr Butt said more than 200 trophies were presented at the club’s annual awards, and seven of its oldest were showcased at the display.
Also on show was an Olympic torch carried by the late Jo Norman, whose absence made the celebration a bittersweet occasion for the club.
Mr Butt said she had been instrumental in planning for the anniversary party, and had been looking forward to being part of it.
‘This was just what she would have wanted,’ he said.
‘We thought about postponing it, but that’s not what she would have wanted. She wasn’t the sort of person who liked things to be made about her, so we’re not doing a memorial today – but I couldn’t not mention her in my speech. And she will absolutely be in everyone’s thoughts this evening.’
Nowadays the club takes swimmers from its learn-to-swim programme all the way to national competitions, boasting a number of members who have represented Guernsey at events such as the Commonwealth Games and Island Games.
This includes Charlie-Joe Hallett, who flew in for the celebratory BBQ, having recently returned from competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Mr Hallett joined the club when he was about seven years old, and has continued to represent it, despite moving to the UK.
‘140 years, it’s just amazing, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘It’s a great family club, you really feel close to everyone – 100% it's home to me.’
And the club’s family ethos has taken on a literal meaning for its president.
Mr Butt, who has been president since 2012, said he initially became involved after signing his son, Matt, up to lessons aged three. Both father and son have remained dedicated members and volunteers ever since. Matt went on to compete, and as of last month, has now taken over as its head coach.
‘It feels great, it’s nice to give all that back to the club,’ Matt said.
‘We’re looking forward to some big things coming up.’
He had coached alongside previous head coach, Heather Jackson, before she stepped back to head up the learn-to-swim programme.
‘Definitely the family feel [of the club] makes it easy to do the hard graft and stuff behind it,’ he said.
For his dad, the anniversary was as much an opportunity to look ahead as back.
‘I feel very proud to be part of it,’ he said.
‘And I’m looking forward to what we’re going to look like at 150. I think with the squads that Heather introduced, we will continue to go from strength to strength. We’re all a swimming family.
‘People that Matthew’s met and people I’ve met from the beginning of swimming – we’re all still friends. It’s a great community.’