The Baden-Powell Council, Scouting America, is pleased to announce that Bruce Erath has been named the 2025 Chenango County Distinguished Citizen. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY - The Baden-Powell Council, Scouting America, is pleased to announce that Bruce Erath has been named the 2025 Chenango County Distinguished Citizen.

The annual award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the community through their leadership, service, and philanthropy. The award will be presented at a celebration dinner at the Canasawacta Country Club on Thursday, May 15. Local Scouts from Troop 66 in Sherburne will serve as the Color Guard.

“It is a privilege to recognize Bruce Erath as this year’s honoree,” said Mark Golden of Golden of Golden Artis Colors, who received the recognition in 2019 “Bruce’s leadership and commitment to the community exemplifies the ideals of the Scouting program. We hope the community will help us honor him and help support Scouting America in Chenango County.”

A 1976 graduate of Cornell University, Erath began his career as a vocational agriculture teacher at Sherburne-Earlville High School. After nine years in the education field, he left teaching for the financial services industry.

In 2017, Erath began a new venture, Hearth Financial Partners, with his daughter Alexandra. With offices in Norwich and Hamilton NY, Alex and Bruce provide investment advisory and financial advising & planning services for individuals and businesses throughout New York, and in various locations across the United States. 

Bruce has always been involved in the community. He has served on the board of directors of the New York State FFA Leadership Training Foundation and is currently the vice-chair of Chenango Memorial Hospital. In the past he has also served as the Chairman of the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce and was the commissioner for youth baseball as well as a coach for 19 years.

He and his wife of over 49 years, Kathleen, reside in Sherburne, NY. They have two children – son Andrew (who works across the U.S. and internationally as a consultant for the design and building of terrain parks for professional ski and snowboard events as well as being a full time helicopter pilot), and daughter Alexandra (the owner and managing partner of Hearth Financial Partners).

On February 8, the 115th anniversary of the organization, the name transitioned from Boy Scouts of America to Scouting America to better represent the organization’s mission to serve all youth following the decisions to welcome girls into Cub Scout (2018) and Scouts BSA(2019). Girls were first part of the organization in the early 1970s through Exploring Posts and Sea Scouts and again in 1998 with the introduction of the Venturing Program, a co-ed program for youth aged 14-20.

“We are excited to celebrate Bruce Erath and share the good news of Scouting,” said Matthew Bull, Baden-Powell Council Scout Executive. “We have a great line up of sponsors who are helping to keep the tradition of Scouting alive and invite the community to support the event and the thousands of youth who are part of our character development program.”

Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased online at www.bpcouncil.org/chenangodcad or by contacting Kellie Amlin at 607-648-7888 extension 106.

 

The Baden-Powell Council, Scouting America, serves youth throughout Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Tioga, and Tompkins counties in New York and Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

- Information from the Baden-Powell Council, Scouting America