After spending the first eight years of his life with the Wynne family following the father’s DuPont career transfers from Old Hickory, TN to Bridgeport, CT, Herkimer, NY and Scarsdale, Ny, the Wynne family returned to Nashville, TN in 1947 via a two year stay in Springfield, TN. Tom, a cradle Catholic, attended Catholic schools all but one school year of his life through one year of college at Christian Brothers College in Memphis, TN. Determining college was not for him at that point in time, a waste of perfectly good money, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Army Security Agency. After active military duty, some years were spent as an insurance adjuster which prompted the successful taking of law courses at the University of Tennessee Nashville Extension. Circumstances and opportunities lead Tom to embark on his 36 year career in the asphalt paving construction industry in Nashville which prompted a return to the UT Extension for courses in civil engineering. Retiring from the asphalt paving industry in 2002, Tom started enjoying the leisure life in Hendersonville, TN where he had been a resident since 1978, attending Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with his wife Jeanie. Then along came Fraternus to Our Lady of the Lake in 2010 in which Tom finally engaged in something truly meaningful.
I’m in my sixteenth year in Fraternus and was Communication Officer for the OLOL Chapter from its inception, then after a time, I was appointed, elected or designated the first National Commander of Fraternus.
I keep it real with the brothers. I have made it an annual affair, sometimes, maybe, twice a year, to confess to the Brothers that I have broken every commandment that Moses brought down from the mountain. More than once! Every one! I well know when, where and how the evil one strikes. I’ve lost battles and, finally, won some. Now, being in the right army, I can prepare my young Brothers for the onslaught, telling the story in the third person only revealing in last sentences that the person the story is about is me and involving them in the story, asking at certain points what the person in the story should do to correct himself. They get thoroughly involved. Mentoring is telling them when and where evil lurks and how temptation presents itself. Then give them witness and training to get up if they fall, retreat, re-group, re-plan and fight again!
I think Fraternus will be, someday, as integral to the Catholic Church as the Knights of Columbus.