I can answer that first question.
The clerk is doing her best to invite the witnesses and confirm their attendance. Once all the witnesses invited to a meeting have confirmed that they will appear, she can send the members the notice of meeting, which includes the list of witnesses who will be present. There's obviously a delay between the time the clerk confirms a witness's appearance and the time the notice is sent out, but that generally isn't very long. However, it may have taken a little longer in this case.