Area History

The Southern Area of The Links, Incorporated came into existence on Easter Monday, April 19, 1948 at 1:00 p.m. when the sixth club, Rocky Mount-Wilson-Tarboro, was chartered.  The establishment of this group came after more than a year of intense planning and activity by founders Sarah Strickland Scott and Margaret Roselle Hawkins.  Julia Delaney discussed this with her daughter, Nan Delaney (Hines) Johnson, who lived in Wilson, North Carolina.  Nan felt that eastern North Carolina was an ideal place to extend the chain of friendship.  The birth of the Southern Area was soon underway with a small circle of friends.  The Southern Area chain of friendship has grown enormously over the years.

The true spirit of friendship and service is very apparent in the programming efforts and initiatives sponsored by the chapters in the Southern Area.  It now fulfills its mission through the efforts of 74 chapters and 2500+ members located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, the Bahamas, and South Africa.  The Southern Area is proud to have had four International Presidents, including our own Julia Brogdon Purnell, to lead our great organization. 

Our Louisiana chapters include:

• Alexandria
• Baton Rouge
• Crescent City (New Orleans)
• La Capitale (Baton Rouge)
• Monroe-Grambling
• New Orleans
• Pontchartrain (New Orleans)
• Shreveport