Signing a birthday card for someone you don't know - is it so bad??

[Proofraider]

For the last few years we've run a lottery syndicate at work. Everyone pays in �1 a week and if any individual wins something, it goes into the pot and we share it equally at Christmas. Works fine. One of the women in it actually left our firm a couple of years back but asked if she could keep paying in and everyone was OK with that - the more members, the better chance of winning! Since then, a few more people have joined so now not everyone knows this woman personally. Still works fine. She's got her 50th birthday next week, and one of the members suggested that we get a card (no collection) and each sign it and send it from the lottery syndicate, so I got one and passed it around. Everyone was happy to sign it and wish her a happy 50th, even the girls who don't know her, except for one, who flatly refused. She said she wasn't signing a card for someone she doesn't know, she herself wouldn't want a card signed by people she didn't know etc etc. I thought she was kidding at first, but she got quite aggressive about it and in the end I just said we'd meant it as a nice friendly thing to do but she shouldn't feel forced to do it and I took the card back. She's the only one who hasn't written in it. Now it's got me thinking - she's happy enough to take the money which the other person contributes to the winnings, but when it came to writing on a card for a one-off special birthday, she seemed affronted that anyone should even ask! Were we asking her to do such an objectionable thing - why get so angry? Is it so odd to sign a special card for someone you only have a loose connection with like this? Any thoughts?

[ceejay123]

Hi
I left work 11 years ago and am still in the Lottery syndicate paying by cheque in advance every 15 weeks. If I received a card on a particular anniversary it would not bother me if it was signed by some one who had joined the syndicate since I left nor would it bother me if it wasn't signed by them.
The person is right not to want to sign it but VERY wrong to make an issue of it!
She was given the chance of sending her good wishes but turned down the offer, End of discussion!

She sounds like someone who is ****** with her own importance so just leave her alone and don't make an issue ,your self, about it.
Chris

[funnygirl]

It is funny signing the card, but at the same time, it cannot hurt!
I think I would have done it! Spread a little cheer and all that.