content: UNITED STATES
                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D. C.  20549
  
  
                                 FORM 8-K
                              CURRENT REPORT
  
  
   Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
  
                     Date of Report:  August 21, 1997
                    (Date of earliest event reported)
  
                         COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.
         (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
         Delaware                   0-11716                 16-1213679
  (State or other Jurisdiction (Commission File Number)  (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                Identification number)
  
                5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214
               (Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)
  
                        Registrant's telephone number
                    including area code:  (315) 445-2282
  
                               Not Applicable
       (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  Items 1 - 4.                Not Applicable
  
  Item 5.                     Other Events
  
  Newsrelease dated August 21, 1997 announcing the declaration of quarterly
  dividend to shareholders of $.20 per share on its Common Stock.
  
  <PAGE>
  
  NEWS RELEASE
  
  
  
  
  COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.                              For further information
  5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214                 please contact:
  
  
                                                         David G. Wallace, SVP and
                                                           Chief Financial Officer
                                                             Office:  315/445-2282
                                                                Fax:  315/445-2997
  
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
  
  
                   COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. INCREASES DIVIDEND
  
  
           SYRACUSE,  NY,  August  21,  1997  ----  Community  Bank  System,  Inc.
  (Nasdaq/NMS:  CBSI) announced that its Board of Directors  approved an increased
  quarterly  cash  dividend of $.20 per share on its Common  Stock,  which will be
  payable October 10, 1997 to shareholders of record September 15, 1997.
           Sanford A. Belden,  President and Chief Executive Officer,  stated that
  this action reflects a $.02 per share or 11.1% increase  compared to a $.015 per
  share or 9.1% increase  approved one year ago. Prior to this most recent action,
  the dividend yield on the Company's  stock was 2.5% based on the August 18, 1997
  closing price of $28.75.
           CBSI is a registered  bank holding  company based in DeWitt,  New York,
  with assets in excess of $1.6  billion.  Its  wholly-owned  banking  subsidiary,
  Community  Bank,  N.A.,  has 68  customer  facilities  offering a broad range of
  financial  services to both retail and commercial  customers located  throughout
  Northern New York, the Finger Lakes Region,  the Southern Tier, and Southwestern
  New York.  CBSI is also parent to Benefit Plans  Administrative  Services,  Inc.
  (BPAS), a pension actuarial and  recordkeeping  firm located in Utica, New York,
  serving sponsors of defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
                                        * * *
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,
  the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
  undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
  
                                               Community Bank System, Inc.
                                               (Registrant)
  
  
                                      by:  /s/ Sanford A. Belden
                                           Sanford A. Belden
                                           President and 
                                           Chief Executive Officer
  
  
  
  August 21, 1997
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "CURRENT REPORT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 3895}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM INC", "cik": "0000723188", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "161213679", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-11716", "film-number": "97668294"}, "business-address": {"street1": "5790 WIDEWATERS PKWY", "city": "DEWITT", "state": "NY", "zip": "13214", "phone": "3154452282"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "5790 WIDEWATERS PARKWAY", "city": "DEWITT", "state": "NY", "zip": "13214"}}
text: UNITED STATES
                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D. C.  20549
  
                                 FORM 8-K
                              CURRENT REPORT
  
   Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
  
                     Date of Report:  August 21, 1997
                    (Date of earliest event reported)
  
                         COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.
         (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
         Delaware                   0-11716                 16-1213679
  (State or other Jurisdiction (Commission File Number)  (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                Identification number)
  
                5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214
               (Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)
  
                        Registrant's telephone number
                    including area code:  (315) 445-2282
  
                               Not Applicable
       (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  Items 1 - 4.                Not Applicable
  
  Item 5.                     Other Events
  
  Newsrelease dated August 21, 1997 announcing the declaration of quarterly
  dividend to shareholders of $.20 per share on its Common Stock.
  NEWS RELEASE
  
  COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.                              For further information
  5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214                 please contact:
  
                                                         David G. Wallace, SVP and
                                                           Chief Financial Officer
                                                             Office:  315/445-2282
                                                                Fax:  315/445-2997
  
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
                   COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. INCREASES DIVIDEND
  
           SYRACUSE,  NY,  August  21,  1997  ----  Community  Bank  System,  Inc.
  (Nasdaq/NMS:  CBSI) announced that its Board of Directors  approved an increased
  quarterly  cash  dividend of $.20 per share on its Common  Stock,  which will be
  payable October 10, 1997 to shareholders of record September 15, 1997.
           Sanford A. Belden,  President and Chief Executive Officer,  stated that
  this action reflects a $.02 per share or 11.1% increase  compared to a $.015 per
  share or 9.1% increase  approved one year ago. Prior to this most recent action,
  the dividend yield on the Company's  stock was 2.5% based on the August 18, 1997
  closing price of $28.75.
           CBSI is a registered  bank holding  company based in DeWitt,  New York,
  with assets in excess of $1.6  billion.  Its  wholly-owned  banking  subsidiary,
  Community  Bank,  N.A.,  has 68  customer  facilities  offering a broad range of
  financial  services to both retail and commercial  customers located  throughout
  Northern New York, the Finger Lakes Region,  the Southern Tier, and Southwestern
  New York.  CBSI is also parent to Benefit Plans  Administrative  Services,  Inc.
  (BPAS), a pension actuarial and  recordkeeping  firm located in Utica, New York,
  serving sponsors of defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
                                        * * *
  SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,
  the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
  undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
  
                                               Community Bank System, Inc.
                                               (Registrant)
  
                                      by:  /s/ Sanford A. Belden
                                           Sanford A. Belden
                                           President and 
                                           Chief Executive Officer
  
  August 21, 1997