A free class in managing volunteers will be offered Saturday morning by the Blanco County Disaster Response Group.

The group's obvious interest is in disaster volunteers, but the same principles apply to volunteers in all sorts of groups, from church committees to civic clubs. Volunteers are volunteers, the class will show, and they generally want the same rewards in return for their volunteer work.

Included will be discussion of the psychology of volunteerism and why people do it. The class will teach how to recruit volunteers, match them with appropriate jobs, train them, motivate them, keep them happy, and retain them.

Students will have a chance to work individually and in groups to apply the principles to their own organizations and needs.

The course's value is not limited to managers... volunteers themselves will learn how they fit into their organization's work so they can better help themselves and the group succeed.

The three-hour course begins at 9:00am Saturday in the Activity Building of the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City. It is free, but to make sure there are enough handouts to go around, those interested are asked to register by calling JoAnn Routh at 868-7414.