Notifying members of a general meeting and tracking who will attend

How do you notify members of a general meeting?

You send each member a notice that follows your bylaws: they set out who calls the meeting, how, and with how much notice. For a French association under the law of 1 July 1901, that law is the general framework; for a company, the Commercial Code or the Civil Code applies depending on its form. In every case, check your bylaws and the text that applies to your organisation.

Carton Blanc comes in once those rules are known: it sends the email with a reply link and saves you from counting answers by hand.

What must the notice contain?

At the least: the name of the organisation, the type of meeting (ordinary or extraordinary), the date, time and place, the agenda and, if your bylaws allow it, how to give a proxy. Add the reply link and, if you wish, a reply deadline.

What makes a notice valid is a matter for your bylaws: check your bylaws before you send.

Can the notice be sent by email?

That depends on what your bylaws allow: some provide for a letter, others for email. If your bylaws require proof of receipt, use the method they set out: Carton Blanc is not presented as a tool for legally valid notices. Check your bylaws.

Where email is allowed, you stay in control of the wording: every message is read and approved by you before it goes out.

Which notice period applies, and where do you find it?

The period is in your bylaws, sometimes in your internal rules, and in the text that applies to your organisation. This page gives no figure: a period quoted from memory is the first cause of a contested notice. Check your bylaws.

Once you know the period, set the sending date in Carton Blanc: you adjust each email's date before it goes out.

How do you see who replied and who will attend?

Members reply on a page without creating an account, and receive a confirmation. The total updates with every reply. The reminder goes only to members who have not replied, by default two weeks before the date, and you can add another on a date of your choice.

If the room has a limited capacity, enter it: replies beyond it go onto a waiting list.

How do you check members in on the day of the meeting?

The list of registered members opens on a phone, and someone at the door ticks off arrivals, which gives you the number present. If your bylaws require an attendance sheet signed by each member, check whether ticking on a phone is enough: check your bylaws.

What about the meal or drinks afterwards?

A meeting is often followed by a meal or a drink. You can invite people to it from the same list: capacity and the waiting list keep you from ordering for the wrong number of covers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the legal notice period for a general meeting?

This page does not state one: it depends on your bylaws and on the text that applies to your organisation. Check your bylaws, or ask a lawyer.

Is a notice sent by email valid?

That depends on your bylaws. Check the method of notice they provide for before you use email.

Does Carton Blanc provide a template notice?

It prepares emails you edit, but the legal content of the notice remains your responsibility.

Do members have to create an account to reply?

No. They fill in a form on the event page and receive a confirmation by email.