Notices of 
Meetings. 
Length of 
Notice. 
120 SECRETARIAL PRACTICE 
Notices to individuals will in general take the form of 
letters, headed by the name of the company, with the address 
and date following, and commencing in some such form as 
follows:—‘ Dear Sir, I am directed to inform you that, &c.,’ 
or “Sir, I hereby give you notice that, &c.,” and concluding, 
Yours faithfully, John Smith, Secretary.’ | 
The most important notices unquestionably are notices of 
general meetings. Others, such as notice of call, notice to 
holders of share warrants of declaration of dividend, although 
accuracy and clearness of expression are necessary, do not 
require special treatment. Ambiguity should be carefully 
avoided. 
The general meetings of a company which will have to 
be convened are the statutory meeting, and ordinary and 
extraordinary general meetings. Sometimes where special 
business is to be transacted the Board issue an explanatory 
circular with the notice convening the meeting. Such a 
circular need not contain the names of the directors as it is 
not a trade circular or business letter within s. 145. Care 
must be taken to insure that the circular is not misleading 
as a misleading circular might vitiate the resolution. 
Apart from the preliminary matter of ensuring that the 
meeting is convened by the proper authority (as to which see 
p. 132), the secretary’s duties are threefold. He must take 
care (I) that the proper length of notice is given; (2) that it 
is duly given to all persons entitled to receive it; and (3) that 
it is properly framed. The salient point to remember is 
that the provisions of the articles must be strictly followed, 
whether the meeting be the statutory meeting, or an ordinary 
or extraordinary general meeting. 
As regards the length of notice, the articles must be con- 
sulted. Table A of 1862, cl. 35, and many special articles, 
required seven days’ notice at the least to be given. This, 
without more, means seven clear days [Razlway Sleepers Co. 
(1885), 29 Ch. 204]; accordingly, neither the day of the service 
of the notice, nor the day on which the meeting is to be held, 
must be counted in the seven days. Therefore, in general, 
if the meeting is to be held on the 20th of the month, the 
notices, if sent by post, should be posted not later that the 
rrth. Articles, however, often prescribe that, unless other- 
wise provided, the day of the receipt of the notice shall be 
counted but not the day of the meeting; in such a case, 
where clear days are elsewhere required, this provision does 
not apply [Pavilion, Newcastle-on-Tyne (1911), W.N. 235]. 
Table A, cl. 42 provides, subject to the provisions of s. 117 (2)