The Christmas Post

I run the risk of ruffling a few feathers, but I need to get this off my chest. 

The one thing during the Season of Goodwill which is guaranteed to raise my hackles is fending off "elected representatives" (at various levels) who expect their local Association to pay the postage for their Christmas cards. 

Each year I send over 1,000 Christmas cards, which I pay for personally. I wouldn't dream of asking my employers to foot the bill. The reason I pay is the same reason I always pay for tickets at branch and Association social events; the same reason I pay a subscription to each of my five local Associations (plus the one where I live), the same reason I always buy raffle tickets and never charge mileage when I attend functions.

Most of our most active, hard working and generous members are retired and on fixed incomes; I suspect many have less money than me. The thought of asking those people to work hard so the money they raise can be given to me to send them their own Christmas card is quite frankly a little bit absurd.

I appreciate it is a burden; hand writing and addressing 1,000 cards and buying 1,000 stamps is a burden for me, too. But it's the right and decent thing to do.