Hamilton Fish joined Troop 16, Great Neck, N.Y in 1952 at age 12 to seek adventure with his buddies in school. Back then, all the “cool” guys (the equivalent term then was “neat”) joined the Scouts. Adventure came quickly in 1953 with participation in the 3rd National Jamboree at the Irvine Ranch in California, the experience of a lifetime. For the next 5 years, he worked for 10 weeks each year on the staff of Camp Wauwepex in Wading River, New York. He earned the Eagle Scout rank in 1957 and, now hooked on Scouting, enrolled in the College Scout Reserve during his college years, where he was elected to the Scouting honorary fraternity Alpha Phi Omega at RPI and to the Presidency of the Eagle Scout Society at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
Following service in the merchant marine Navy Reserve and, after graduating from college, Fish returned to Scouting as an adult in 1976 with his transfer to Oswego, New York. Initially recruited in the Ontario District, he served as Vice Chair for Programs and, subsequently, for 4 years as District Chair of the former Oswego County Council, a newly converted district within the new Hiawatha Council. During this time, Fish was inducted into the Order of the Arrow and received the District Award of Merit. In 1985, he moved to the Onondaga district, where he served as a unit commissioner and camp promotion chair, and in council-level positions involving the joint operations for camp promotion and inspection of the Adirondack Scout Reservation camps with our neighboring Otetiana Council. During this time, he was awarded the Silver Beaver and the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor. In 1992, his career took him to White Plains for 12 years. He served as a unit commissioner in the local council and maintained contact with the Hiawatha Council by regularly traveling back for the annual beaver weekends at Sabattis and O.A. work weekends at Woodland and Portaferry. During this time, he received the James E. West Society Award. Upon his return to Skaneateles in 2004, he transferred from the Onondaga District to the Interlakes District, where he has served as popcorn kernel, Friends of Scouting Chair, and District Finance Chair.
Upon graduation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1963, he served for five years at sea, sailing around the world in the Merchant Marine, including qualification and service aboard the world’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship, the N.S. Savannah. During this time, he was advanced to Lieutenant Commander, USNR, and U.S. Coast Guard 1st engineer. Following service on the NS Savannah, he entered graduate school, earning a master’s degree in physics and science education. After teaching physics for several years at the Maine Maritime Academy, he started a 30-year career in the commercial nuclear power industry. He earned his USNRC Senior Reactor Operator certification at the New York Power Authority’s Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Oswego, where he served as technical services superintendent. In 1992, he was transferred to the New York Power Authority headquarters in White Plains, New York, where he managed the Nuclear Research and Development program. During this time, he was elected to chair multiple national technical committees of the Boiling Water Reactor Owners group, Electric Power Research Institute, and the national standards writing committee for Human Factors of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Following retirement in 2000, he started a new company, EMCI – Energy & Management Consulting, Inc. – providing consulting services to the nuclear power generation industry.
When he lived in Fair Haven, Hamilton was a member of the Red Creek School Board of Education and served as a Trustee of the Village of Fair Haven. He was also a member of the choir and served on the Vestry of The Church of the Resurrection in Oswego. In Skaneateles, he has been a member of the Master Works Chorale for years and in the past served as its business manager. He is also a member of the St. James Choir and served a term as a member of the Vestry. Hamilton served on the Engineering Advisory Committee for the Town of Skaneateles when it was established by a former Town Supervisor. Along with the above, Hamilton has provided technical assistance and support to his wife, Fran, who serves on the Board of the Skaneateles Lake Association as its Membership Chair and Fund-Raising Co-chair.