Argggghhhhhhh

It's that time of year again. Edinburgh is full of tourists doing the festival, so there is lots of opportunities to shake buckets under their nose to get them to part with the money for a good cause. That the good cause is one of the local HIV/AIDS charities means that the bucket waiving is being done by the local order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. One of my friends is a Sister and as a result I tend to get roped in as a henchperson. Sometimes though the roping in as an ad hoc volunteer gets way out of hand and you are expected to take sides in the petty squabbles and power struggles that happen now and again.

And wouldn't you know it ust as we are heading towards World AIDS day, for which we have to source a huge number of condoms, dams, etc that we have to make up into safe sex packs it would appear that the squabbles are happening again.

The order has a new novice, who is not gay but is very heavily into the fetish scene and seems to want to use the order to get more gays to join fetish events. This novice is also so overbearing and bossy that I have expressed that I don't want to be at any of the event with him. The head sister has similar concerns, and doesn't want to loose me as a henchperson (because I'm more committed to the work than some of the nuns?), but my friend is on the side of the novice. I am trying to stay out of this but it was organised with the head sister that I would help with some bucket waving tonight and of course today my friend had a swipe at me over that. I think if this is going to get to the point were I'm being got at just for doing voluntary work I think that I should withdraw my goodwill.

Which as far as I see it leaves them with one real henchperson and henchperson who forgets he's henching and does other things whilst out with the nuns.

What a set up!