Erving's 2023 Golden Cane Recipient - Robert Bitzer

On Thursday, November 30, 2023, the Town of Erving’s Golden Cane Committee presented Robert Bitzer of Lillians Way, with the Golden Cane Award.  Robert was presented with the Golden Cane and a certificate.

Robert became the Golden Cane recipient as the oldest living resident in the Town of Erving, turning 97 years young on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, and has been a resident of Erving for 35 years.

Not only has Robert Bitzer become the latest Golden Cane recipient, but for more than 30 years he was also the Franklin County Technical School Representative and had Erving’s Annual Town Report dedicated to him in 2013.

A history of the ‘Boston Post Cane’, a New England tradition:

In 1909, Boston Post newspaper distributed walking canes to 700 New England towns. The canes, imported from Africa, are made of ebony, crowned with 14-karat gold, and inscribed with each individual town’s name. They were then presented in varying measures of ceremonial pomp, to the oldest living male of those municipalities. Since then, for over a century, the canes have been handed down to the next oldest survivor in those towns. Women were added to the list of cane recipients starting in 1930.

The Town of Erving wishes to extend congratulations to Mr. Robert Bitzer on becoming the 2023 Golden Cane Recipient!