Friendly Societies Act 1992

4 (1) A meeting of a friendly society or registered branch must be called by not less than 14 days’ notice to members, or such longer period as the rules may require, expiring— U.K.

(a) with the date of the meeting; or

(b) where proxy voting is permitted, with such earlier date as may be specified by the society, under its rules, as the final date for the receipt of [F1 appointments of proxies] to vote at the meeting;

and the notice to members of a meeting shall be given in such manner as is prescribed by the rules of the society or branch.

[F2 (1A) Sending the notice by electronic means to an electronic address which the member has notified for that purpose, or making the notice available to a member on a website, is to be regarded as giving the member notice for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), unless the rules of the society or branch make express provision to the contrary.

(1B) The end date for the purposes of section 119AB(4)(b) is the date of the meeting.

(1C) If a notice calling a meeting includes an electronic address for the society or registered branch, the address is to be regarded as one to which documents or information relating to the meeting may be sent; but that is subject to such conditions or restrictions as the notice specifies.

(1D) Where notice of a meeting is given to a member by sending it to an electronic address, the notice is to be treated as given to that member on the day it is sent.

(1E) Where a notice of a meeting is given to a member by making the notice available on a website, the notice is to be treated as given on the day the member is notified in accordance with section 119AB(3).

(1F) If the notice is absent from the website for part of the period referred to in section 119AB(4), and the absence is disregarded for the purposes of section 119AB(5), that absence does not invalidate the proceedings of the meeting or resolutions passed.]

(2) Where the rules of a friendly society do not provide for the giving of individual notices to those entitled (when the notice is given) to vote at meetings of any description, the rules may provide for the giving of notice of such meetings by advertisement.

(3) If the rules provide for the giving of notice of any meetings by advertisement, the rules must include provision requiring the necessary advertisements to be inserted—

(a) in at least one newspaper circulating in the areas in which the members of the society reside; or

(b) where the membership of the society is drawn from a professional body or wholly or mainly from persons who are or have been engaged in a particular trade, profession or vocation, in an appropriate professional journal,

as the rules may provide.

(4) The rules of a friendly society or registered branch may provide—

(a) for adjourned meetings to be called without notice or with such notice as the rules may require;

(b) for meetings to be held at a specified time and place, on such dates as are prescribed by the rules, either without further notice or with such notice as the rules may require;

and sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) above shall not apply to meetings held by virtue of such provision.

(5) This paragraph is without prejudice to any requirement under the rules of a friendly society or registered branch as to the giving of notice of special resolutions to be moved, or any other business to be transacted, at a meeting of the society or branch.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 12 para. 4(1)(b) substituted (12.4.2011) by The Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 21(1)(a)

F2 Sch. 12 para. 4(1A)-(1F) inserted (12.4.2011) by The Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 14

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 12 para. 4 wholly in force; Sch. 12 para. 4 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 126(2); Sch. 12 para. 4 in force for certain purposes at 13.1.1993 by S.I. 1993/16, art. 2, Sch. 1; Sch. 12 para. 4 in force to the extent not already in force at 1.1.1994 by S.I. 1993/2213, art. 2(1), Sch. 5