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 Exchange Act of 1934
  
                            Date of Report: December 10, 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
  
       News Release dated December 10, 1997 announcing  CBSI filed  application to
  list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.
  
  <PAGE>
  
  NEWS RELEASE
  COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.                              For further information
  5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214                 please contact:
  
                                                      David G. Wallace, S.V.P. and
                                                           Chief Financial Officer
                                                             Office:  315/445-2282
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         Fax:  315/445-2997
  
  
  
           COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. TO LIST ON NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
  
       Syracuse,  New York,  December 10, 1997 -----  Community Bank System,  Inc.
  (Nasdaq NMS: CBSI)  announced today that it has filed an application to list its
  common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.  The Company's shares will continue
  trading on the Nasdaq  National  Market System until its New York Stock Exchange
  listing under the symbol "CBU" is effective, which is anticipated to be December
  31, 1997.
  
       Sanford A. Belden, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Based on
  our  research,  stock of companies of CBSI's size which are traded in an auction
  market, such as the New York Stock Exchange,  versus in a dealer market, such as
  Nasdaq,  experience  less  price  volatility,  offer more  efficient  pricing to
  investors, and benefit from greater market depth. We believe that our listing on
  the New York Stock  Exchange will offer similar  value to CBSI  shareholders  in
  addition to enhancing our visibility to the investor community."
  
       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 66 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
  
  
  
  December 10, 1997
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "CURRENT REPORT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4353}]
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": "001-13695", "film-number": "97735817"}, "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 Exchange Act of 1934
  
                            Date of Report: December 10, 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
  
       News Release dated December 10, 1997 announcing  CBSI filed  application to
  list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.
  NEWS RELEASE
  COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.                              For further information
  5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York  13214                 please contact:
  
                                                      David G. Wallace, S.V.P. and
                                                           Chief Financial Officer
                                                             Office:  315/445-2282
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         Fax:  315/445-2997
  
           COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. TO LIST ON NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
  
       Syracuse,  New York,  December 10, 1997 -----  Community Bank System,  Inc.
  (Nasdaq NMS: CBSI)  announced today that it has filed an application to list its
  common stock on the New York Stock Exchange.  The Company's shares will continue
  trading on the Nasdaq  National  Market System until its New York Stock Exchange
  listing under the symbol "CBU" is effective, which is anticipated to be December
  31, 1997.
  
       Sanford A. Belden, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Based on
  our  research,  stock of companies of CBSI's size which are traded in an auction
  market, such as the New York Stock Exchange,  versus in a dealer market, such as
  Nasdaq,  experience  less  price  volatility,  offer more  efficient  pricing to
  investors, and benefit from greater market depth. We believe that our listing on
  the New York Stock  Exchange will offer similar  value to CBSI  shareholders  in
  addition to enhancing our visibility to the investor community."
  
       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 66 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
  
  December 10, 1997