The rules of governance of the Bene Gesserit are given in The Bene Gesseri! Canons Though the Bene Gessent dunng the empire, projected a public image of being a religious service order the Canons detail an organizational BENE GESSERIT GOVERNANCE 117 BEHE GESSERIT GOVERNANCE structure more appropriate for an empire-wide corporation than for a mendicant order From the Canons' ratification date (303 BG) it appears that the order underwent extreme structural reorganization following the Butlenan Jihad Historical appendices to die Canons indicate that the order, prior to the Butlenan Jihad, was a loosely structured confederation of chapter houses The Canons set forth a well-defined system of governance incorporating ancient republican political theory and a tripartite matriarchal directorate The gov erning bodies, composed of regular members of the Sisterhood and Reverend Mothers, functioned efficiently until Leto II dissolved eleven of the twelve chapter houses in 10573 The Canons show a governance structure composed of an executive,