number of important committees which had been set up to consider reforms to the service. The JCSA agitated for the formation of the Whitely Councils to deal with grievances and disputes. These Whitely Councils were later replaced by the Staff Relations Council. Realizing that simply petitioning or advocating for improvements from the government would not be enough to bring about significant improvements in the living standards of its members, the association promoted the development of cooperative activities among its members to help secure these improvements. In 1939 the Jamaica Civil Service Thrift Society Ltd. was formed to render financial assistance to the association's members. In 1956 the Jamaica Civil Service Housing Company Ltd. was established to assist the members in acquiring their own homes. During the 1950s the JCSA was able to lease and buy land which would go on to play an important role in the development of the Association and the services that they offer. In 1955 the Association was able to acquire land at Tarrant Pen under lease from the government. This land was used to establish a club and complex which was built in 1966. This complex now goes under the name JACISERA (an acronym for Jamaica Civil Service Association) Park and is the hub of all sporting activities, social activities and mass meetings of the Association. During the 1950s the association also acquired land at 10 Caledonia Avenue in Kingston and constructed an office building which was opened in 1976. This building houses the association's secretariat, the Jamaica Civil Service Mutual Thrift Society, the JCSA Ltd, the JCS Housing Company Ltd., and the offices of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). Additionally the association was also able to acquire twenty acres of land in each parish for housing civil servants through its contractual agreements with the government. The association through its housing company was responsible for the development of Blue Castle Housing Project in 1958; this project provided 47 houses for civil servants and the Union Estate Housing Project in 2009 which provided 767 houses for public servants. The JCSA members received 40% percent of the total units which represents 308 units. Despite their initial close relationships with the government, following the country's independence, the association found it increasingly difficulty to secure the improvements that its members desired through petitions and advocacy. As a result, the association and its members had become much more