Exhibit 10.8


                            RETENTION BONUS AGREEMENT



     This Agreement is made as of the 1st day of September,  1999 by and between
Wilber  National  Bank,  a national  corporation  with its  principal  office in
Oneonta,  N.Y.  13820  (the  "Bank")  and  Douglas C.  Gulotty , a  resident  of
Westford, NY (the "Employee").

                                    RECITALS

A.   The Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wilber Corporation, a New York
     corporation and registered  bank holding company with its principal  office
     in Oneonta, N.Y. 13820 (the "Holding Company").

B.   The Bank and the Employee  acknowledge the ownership  consolidation that is
     occurring  in  the  financial  institutions  industry,  particularly  among
     community banks,  and the Bank and Employee  acknowledge that at some point
     it  may  be  appropriate  for  the  Holding  Company  and/or  the  Bank  to
     participate in this industry consolidation.

C.   The Bank  recognizes the value of the  Employee's  services to the Bank and
     desires to insure that the Employee  has adequate  incentive to continue in
     the employment  with the Bank in his/her  present  position or in a similar
     position with enhanced responsibilities.

D.   Given the current consolidation occurring within the financial institutions
     industry,  the Employee  desires to continue in the  employment of the Bank
     with appropriate financial incentives.

     NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the  foregoing  Recitals and of the
promises and mutual  agreements set forth below, and for other good and valuable
consideration,  the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged,  the Bank
and Employee agree as follows:

1    Definitions.  For purposes of this  Agreement,  the following terms shall
     have the meanings indicated:

     (a)  "Misconduct":

          (i)  the   willful   and   continued   failure  of  the   Employee  to
               substantially  perform  his/her  duties with the Bank (other than
               any such failure  resulting  from  incapacity  due to physical or
               mental   illness)   after  a  written   demand  for   substantial
               performance  is  delivered  to the  Employee  which  specifically
               identifies the manner in which the Employee has not substantially
               performed his/her duties;

          (ii) the willful  engaging by the Employee in illegal conduct or gross
               misconduct which is materially and demonstrably  injurious to the
               Bank;

          (iii)personal  dishonesty or breach of fiduciary duty to the Bank that
               in either case was  intended to result in personal  profit to the
               Employee at the expense of the Bank;

          (vi) willful  violation of any law,  rule, or  regulation  (other than
               traffic   violations,   misdemeanors  or  similar   offenses)  or
               cease-and-desist  order,  court  order,  judgment or  supervisory
               agreement   which   violation  is  materially  and   demonstrably
               injurious to the Bank;

          (v)  the Employee  directly or  indirectly,  alone or as a member of a
               partnership,  or as an  officer,  director,  member or  principal
               shareholder of any other entity,  engages in or is concerned with
               any other  commercial  duties or pursuits  whatsoever  that might
               conflict  with the  Bank's  business,  or  materially  affect the
               Employee's  ability to perform his duties or create an appearance
               of  conflict,  except  as  may  be  approved  in  writing  by the
               President.

<PAGE>


(b)  "Change in Control":  For purposes of this  Agreement,  a change in Control
     shall be deemed to have  occurred  (unless  Employee  shall have  agreed in
     writing  to the  contrary)  if (i)  there  shall  be  consummated  (x)  any
     consolidation  or merger of the Holding Company or of Bank in which Holding
     Company or Bank is not the continuing

or   surviving  corporation or pursuant to which shares of Holding  Company's or
     Bank's  Common  Stock would be  converted  into cash,  securities  or other
     property,  other than a merger of the  Holding  Company or of Bank in which
     the holders of the Holding  Company's or Bank's  Common  Stock  immediately
     prior

to   the merger have the same  proportionate  ownership  of Common  Stock of the
     surviving corporation immediately after the merger, or (y) any sale, lease,
     exchange  or other  transfer  (in one  transaction  or a series of  related
     transactions)  of all, or  substantially  all, of the assets of the Holding
     Company or of Bank, or (ii) the  stockholders  of the Holding Company or of
     Bank approved any plan or proposal for the  liquidation  or  dissolution of
     the Holding  Company or of Bank,  or (iii) any person (as such term is used
     in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
     amended (the "Exchange Act"), other than

     Brian R. Wright,  his spouse or his  children,  or a trust for any of them,
     shall become the  beneficial  owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under
     the  Exchange  Act)  of 25% or more of the  Holding  Company's  outstanding
     Common Stock or (iv) any person (as defined above),  other than the Holding
     Company,  shall become the  beneficial  owner (as defined  above) of 50% or
     more of Bank's  outstanding  Common Stock,  or (v) during any period of two
     consecutive  years,  individuals  who  at  the  beginning  of  such  period
     constitute the entire Board of Directors of Holding Company shall cease for
     any reason to constitute a majority  thereof  unless the  election,  or the
     nomination for election by the Holding Company's stockholders,  of each new
     director was  approved by a vote of at least  two-thirds  of the  directors
     then still in office who were directors at the beginning of the period.

     (c)  "Coincident  With" shall mean any time within nine months prior to the
          consummation of a Change in Control.

     (d)  "Current Annual Salary" for exempt  personnel shall mean current gross
          annual salary,  excluding incentive payments,  profit sharing payments
          and  commissions.  "Current  Annual Salary" for  non-exempt  personnel
          shall mean an amount determined by multiplying the current hourly rate
          times 1950 hours,  and excludes  incentive  payments,  profit  sharing
          payments and commissions.

2.   Change  in  Control  and  Retention  Bonus.  If  a  Change  in  Control  is
     consummated  and on the date of the  consummation of the Change in Control,
     the  Employee is  employed by Bank (in a position  having the same level of
     responsibilities  as the position that Employee held on the date hereof (or
     in  a  similar  position  with  enhanced  responsibilities),  Bank  or  its
     successor  shall pay to the  Employee in a lump sum,  in cash,  within five
     days  following the date of the Change in Control,  a Retention  Bonus of $
     200% of their Current Annual Salary as defined above in paragraph 1(d).
     ----


     2.1  If the lump sum payment under this Section 2, either alone or together
          with other  payments  which the Employee has the right to receive from
          the Company,  would  constitute  a "parachute  payment" [as defined in
          Section 28OG of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986,  as amended,  (the
          "Code")], such lump sum payment shall be reduced to the largest amount
          as will  result  in no  portion  of the lump sum  payment  under  this
          Section 2 being  subject to the excise tax imposed by Section  4999 of
          the Code. The  determination  of any reduction in the lump sum payment
          under this Section 2,  pursuant to the foregoing  provision,  shall be
          made by the Company in good faith.

     2.2  Employee acknowledges that pursuant to Section 9.4, Termination of the
          current  Personnel  Handbook  of  the  Bank,  current  or as  amended,
          Employee may receive certain benefits if the Employee's  services were
          terminated.  In  consideration  of the promises and mutual  agreements
          contained  herein,  the  Employee and the Bank agree that the total of
          payments to be received  by Employee  under the terms of Section  9.4,
          Termination, of the Personnel Handbook, as it may be amended from time
          to time,  and under the terms of this  Agreement,  may not  exceed the
          amount  described above, as modified if required by section 2. 1. Cash
          payments  described in Section 2 of this Agreement are not intended to
          include  the  amounts  the Bank  may be  obligated  to pay for  health
          insurance  coverage  under the terms of Section  9.4 of the  Personnel
          Handbook.

3.   Termination  by Company  not for  Misconduct,  Coincident  with a Change in
     Control. In the event the Employee's  employment is terminated by action of
     the Bank not for Misconduct,  Coincident With a Change in Control,  and the
     Employee at the date of termination  held a position  having the same level
     of  responsibilities  as the position  Employee held on the date hereof (or
     held a similar position with enhanced responsibilities), the Bank shall pay
     the Employee  within five days following the  consummation of the Change in
     Control, the same Retention Bonus in amount and manner described in Section
     2  above.  In the  event of the  Employee's  termination  pursuant  to this
     Section 3, the Employee shall not be subject to the non-compete restriction
     described in Section 4 below.

4.   Termination  of Employment by  Employee/Non-Competition  Agreement.  In the
     event the Employee voluntarily terminates his own employment within 6 (six)
     months of the date of  consummation of the Change in Control and subsequent
     to receipt of the Retention  Bonus  provided for in paragraph 2 above,  the
     Employee  agrees not to compete,  directly or indirectly,  with the Bank or
     any successor as an employee,  officer,  director,  independent contractor,
     consultant,  or shareholder of any financial  services company or any other
     entity providing financial services,  including but not limited to lending,
     securities,  brokerage,  trust or insurance  products or services  within a
     (75) mile  radius of the main office of the Bank,  or such other  office of
     the Bank at which such Employee was physically  located during the majority
     of Employee's  work tenure for the Bank, for a period of 180 days following
     the date of such termination.

5.   Withholding.  All payments made by the Bank hereunder to the Employee shall
     be subject to the withholding of such amounts,  if any, relating to tax and
     other payroll  deductions as the Bank may  reasonably  determine  should be
     withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

6.   Employment  at Will.  Nothing  in this  Agreement  should be  construed  to
     constitute an  employment  agreement for any length of time of the Employee
     by the Bank. At all times,  Employee  shall remain an "At Will" employee of
     the Bank subject to the rights arising under this Agreement.

7.   Non-Disclosure.  During the term of his/her employment with the Bank, or at
     any time thereafter,  the Employee shall not disclose or use (except in the
     course of his employment  hereunder)  any Bank customer  information or any
     confidential or proprietary  information or data of the Bank or the Holding
     Company or any of their  subsidiaries  or  affiliates,  including  any such
     information  with  respect  to a sale or  merger  of the  Bank  or  Holding
     Company,  regardless  of whether  such  information  or data is embodied in
     writing or other physical form.

8.   Pooling of Interests Treatment In the event anything in this Agreement will
     prevent,  or have  the  effect  of  preventing  the use of the  pooling  of
     interests  accounting  method by an acquirer in a Change in Control and the
     use of the pooling of interests  accounting method is a condition precedent
     to the  consummation  of such Change in Control by the acquirer,  then this
     Agreement  shall be deemed  valid  only to the extent  that the  pooling of
     interests  accounting  method  can be  used;  provided  however,  that  any
     determination  that this  Agreement  would  prevent,  or have the effect of
     preventing,  the use of the pooling of interests accounting method shall be
     supported by an opinion letter from the acquirer's  independent  accounting
     firm or from the Securities and Exchange Commission.  In the event that the
     Employee's  benefit  under this  Agreement  is reduced by operation of this
     Section  8, the  employee,  at his sole  option,  shall  have the option of
     accepting  the reduced  benefit  under this  Agreement  or the  termination
     benefit he would have been  entitled to under  Section 9.4 of the Personnel
     Handbook in effect at that time, if terminated by the acquirer.

9.   Successors;  Binding  Agreement.  This Agreement  shall be binding upon and
     inure to the  benefit  of the Bank and the  Employee  and their  respective
     successors,   assigns,   personal  or  legal  representatives,   executors,
     administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. If the Employee
     should die while any amount  would still be payable to him  hereunder if he
     had continued to live,  all such amounts  shall be paid in accordance  with
     the terms of this Agreement to his devisee,  legatee or other designee,  or
     if there be no such designee, to the Employee's estate.

10.  Modification,  Waiver or Discharge.  No provision of this  Agreement may be
     modified,  waived  or  discharged  unless  such  waiver,   modification  or
     discharge is agreed to in writing and signed by the Employee and authorized
     officers  of the Bank.  No  waiver  by any party  hereto at any time of any
     breach by the other party hereto of, or compliance  with,  any condition or
     provision  of this  Agreement  to be performed by such other party shall be
     deemed a waiver of similar or  dissimilar  provisions  or conditions at the
     same or at any prior or subsequent time. No agreements or  representations,
     oral or otherwise,  express or implied,  with respect to the subject matter
     hereof have been made by either party which are not  expressly set forth in
     this Agreement;  provided, however, that this Agreement shall not supersede
     or,  except as  expressly  set forth  herein,  in any way limit the rights,
     duties,  or  obligations  that the  Employee or the Bank may have under any
     other written  agreement  between such parties,  under any employee pension
     benefit plan, or employee  welfare  benefit plan as defined in the Employee
     Retirement  Income  Security Act of 1974 as amended,  of the Bank, or under
     any established personnel practice or policy applicable to the Employee.

11.  Termination  of  Agreement.  Notwithstanding  any other  provisions of this
     Agreement,  the  rights,  duties  and  obligations  of all  parties to this
     Agreement shall cease,  and this Agreement shall terminate on September 30,
     2004, provided,  however,  that this Agreement shall be extended after said
     date, up to nine (9) months,  from the date of the first announcement prior
     to said date of an ownership  consolidation  which might result in a Change
     in Control provided further that said announced ownership  consolidation is
     consummated  in a Change of Control on a date  within  nine (9) months from
     the date of said announcement.

12.  Governing Law. The validity,  interpretation,  construction and performance
     of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York to
     the extent federal law does not apply.

13.  Validity.  The  invalidity  or  unenforceability  of any  provision of this
     Agreement  shall not affect the  validity  or  enforceability  of the other
     provisions of this Agreement,  which latter provisions shall remain in full
     force and effect.

14.  Arbitration; Specific Performance. Any controversy or claim arising out of,
     or  relating  to,  this  Agreement  or its  breach,  shall  be  settled  by
     arbitration  in  accordance  with  the  governing  rules  of  the  American
     Arbitration  Association to be held in Oneonta,  New York with New York law
     applying. Judgment upon the award may be rendered in any court of competent
     jurisdiction.  The Bank and the  Employee  recognize  that each party shall
     have no  adequate  remedy  at law for  breach  by the  other  of any of the
     agreements  contained herein, and in the event of any such breach, the Bank
     and the Employee  hereby agree and consent that the other shall be entitled
     in arbitration to a decree of specific performance, mandamus, injunction or
     other appropriate remedy to enforce performance of such agreements.

15.  Non-Assignability.  No right benefit or interest hereunder shall be subject
     to anticipation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge,
     hypothecation,  or set-off in respect of any claim, debt or obligation,  or
     to  execution,  attachment,  levy or  similar  process,  or  assignment  by
     operation  of law. Any attempt,  voluntary  or  involuntary,  to effect any
     action specified in the immediately  preceding  sentence shall, to the full
     extent  permitted  by law,  be  null,  void  and of no  effect.  Any of the
     foregoing  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  this  provision  shall  not
     preclude the Employee from designating one or more beneficiaries to receive
     any amount that may be payable  after  death,  and shall not  preclude  the
     legal  representative  of the Employee's estate from transferring any right
     hereunder to the person or persons  entitled  thereto under Employee's will
     or, in the case of intestacy, as applicable, to Employee's estate.

16.  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more  counterparts,
     each of which  shall be  deemed an  original,  but of which  together  will
     constitute one and the same instrument.

17.  Right  to  Attorney.   Employee   acknowledges  that  he/she  has  had  the
     opportunity to consult with an attorney prior to signing this Agreement and
     that  nothing  contained  herein  will be  construed  against  the  Bank as
     draftsman.

18.  Notices. All notices,  requests,  demands and other communications provided
     for by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be  sufficiently  given
     if and when  mailed  in the  continental  United  States by  Registered  or
     Certified  Mail, or personally  delivered to the party entitled  thereto at
     the address  stated below or to such changed  address as the  addressee may
     have given by similar notice.


         to the Bank:
         Chief Executive Officer
         Wilber National Bank
         245 Main Street
         Oneonta, NY 13820

         to the Employee:
         Douglas C. Gulotty
         911 County Highway 36
         Worcester, NY  12197

Executed and effective as of the date first above written.

                                            WILBER NATIONAL BANK


                                            By: /s/ Alfred S. Whittet
                                                --------------------------------
                                                    Alfred S. Whittet

                                            /s/ Douglas C. Gulotty
                                                --------------------------------
                                                Douglas C. Gulotty

                                                Employee