SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

~~Form~~FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15~~(d)~~ OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): ~~August~~ January 228, ~~2003~~2004

THE SOUTHERN BANC COMPANY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Delaware	1-13964	63-1146351
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(I.R.S. Employer
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)
221 S. 6th Street, Gadsden, Alabama		35901-4102
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

221 S. 6th Street, Gadsden, Alabama						35901-4102
(Address of principal executive offices)						(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (256) 543-3860

~~Item~~ITEM 125. ~~Results~~THER ofEVENTS. ~~Operations and Financial Condition~~

On ~~August~~December 229, 2003, The Southern Banc Company, Inc. (the ~~Registrant~~“Company”) ~~announced~~filed ~~its~~an ~~results~~application ofwith ~~operations~~the ~~for~~Securities and Exchange Commission (the ~~quarter~~“Commission”) ~~and~~to ~~fiscal~~withdraw ~~year~~the ~~ended~~Company’s ~~June~~common ~~30,~~stock ~~2003.~~from Alisting ~~copy~~and ofregistration on the ~~related~~American ~~press~~Stock ~~release~~Exchange. isOn ~~attached~~January as7, ~~Exhibit~~2004, ~~99.1~~the toCommission ~~this~~ordered ~~Current~~that ~~Report~~the onapplication ~~Form~~be ~~8-K~~granted, ~~and~~effective isat ~~incorporated~~the opening ~~herein~~of bybusiness ~~reference~~on inJanuary ~~its~~8, ~~entirety~~2004.

The ~~information~~Company ~~furnished~~will continue ~~herein,~~to ~~including~~voluntarily ~~Exhibit~~submit ~~99.1,~~reports ~~shall not be deemed~~ to bethe ~~“filed”~~Commission ~~for~~under ~~purposes of Section 18 of~~ the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ~~nor~~until ~~shall~~the itBoard beof ~~deemed~~Directors ~~incorporated~~determines bywhether ~~reference~~to interminate ~~any filing under~~ the ~~Securities~~Company’s ~~Act of 1933~~filings.

On January 8, 2004, the Company issued a press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K announcing this event. The information contained in the press release is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(a)	Not applicable.

(b)	Not applicable.

(c)

Exhibits.

99.1 Press Release of the Company dated January 8, 2004 regarding voluntary filing to delist its shares.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the ~~Registrant~~registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	~~THE SOUTHERN BANC COMPANY, INC.~~		THE SOUTHERN BANC COMPANY, INC.
DATE: August 26, 2003	By:	/s/ Gates Little
Date: January 8, 2004			By:	/s/ Gates Little
		~~Gates Little Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer~~		Gates Little Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number 99.1 Press Release, dated August 22, 2003, issued by the Registrant.

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