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TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

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Jarring Junior

He was obsessed with catching things – spiders, beetles, frogs, bees – if it crawled, buzzed, hopped, or slid on its belly, he wanted it in one of his critter jars his mom would save for him.

His dad, on the other hand, felt he needed to stop filling the back porch with endless jars of everything that tried to move through the back yard. As a chef for the local country club, he now had the opportunity to finally “scare” his son into giving up his hobby.

He was preparing a banquet for a group and the main course was to be lobsters flown in from Maine. One was a monster – almost twenty pounds. So, he called his wife and told her to expect him home in just a little while. He told her to make sure Junior stayed in the back yard.

Once home, he pulled a bushel basket out of the trunk with the lobster king and carefully placed it in the front yard. Chuckling, he said, “Now, get Junior.”

She shook her head as she walked through the house to get him.

As Junior came out the front door, he stopped in his tracks as he caught a glimpse of the beast in the grass.

“Junior, isn’t that the biggest bug you have ever seen?” His dad was trying not to laugh. Suddenly, Junior turned and ran into the house. His dad laughed knowing he had solved his problem.

Then, Junior reappeared. “Mom, help me find a bigger jar – quick – before it gets away!”

Len Bernat
Len Bernat
LEN is a leader groomed by 20 years of molding and shaping by some of the finest leaders in the United States Marine Corps. Their guidance helped Len realize his full potential as he moved from an enlisted Marine to becoming an Officer of Marines. Len became known for being the leader who could turn any lackluster organization into a strong, functional unit. Upon his retirement, Len worked in several positions before finally starting a second career in governmental procurement. His experience and leadership skills enabled him to be recognized as the 2011 Governmental Procurement Officer of the Year for the Governmental Procurement Association of Georgia and opened doors for him to teach at many of the association’s conferences. Len was also called to the ministry and was ordained at Ashford Memorial Methodist Church in November of 1999. Today, Len is the Pastor of Maxeys Christian Church in Maxeys, Georgia. Len has been married to his wife, Hazel, for 36 years and they have three daughters, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Grab your copy of Len's new Book – Leadership Matters | Advice From A Career USMC Officer. Using his life experiences as examples, Len takes the eleven principles of leadership and the fourteen traits every leader should possess—which he learned during twenty years in the Marine Corps—and teaches the reader how he was molded and shaped by some of the best leaders the Corps had to offer.

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8 CONVERSATIONS

  1. No wonder they say ‘Habits die hard!’ Challenging a child to mend his ways is one thing, but it needs a creative bent of mind to redirect their energy into something different. Dad’s simple logic, in this case, gave more food to the same habit, in a bigger way though.

    I love the plot of the story that carries a clear impression of a master story-teller, Len Sir.

    Thanks, with Warm Regards!

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