The 1946 Conference was the last to be held as a unified Area U. At this event, Andrew Groenink announced that Area U would be split into three Areas. The area comprising Southern California, Southern Nevada, and Arizona, would become Area U Section A.
The conference was held on “Easter Break.” Easter fell on April 21 in 1946.
Related: March 1946 Newspaper Blog Post From the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Carl Helmick would be announced as the leader of Area U Section A, which was also called Area 12-A a full two years before the full integration of the Order of the Arrow into the BSA program. The next year’s Conference program still listed Area U Section A, so it appears to have been used interchangeably until 1951.
1946 Chief * Henry Use 90
Lay Adviser * Winthrop Fairchild 228 (deceased)
Region Adviser * A. R. (Andy) Groenink 90 (deceased)
Earlier Notes: reference was made to the site in the 1945 program and again in the 1954 XIIA program. The fourteenth meeting of the National Lodge was held August 27-29 at Chanute Field, IL. per the July 1946 National Bulletin. It listed Carl Helmick as the new Area Leader of XIIA. This raises the question of designation since area records indicate 1951 as the first year with this designation. A. R. (Andy) Groenink was appointed to the National Executive Committee.
Conference Information
Location: Camp Bill Lane, Sunland, California
Service Lodge: Spe-Le-Yai Lodge # 249
Date: Easter Break