Is Josiah quietly swept under the rug?

[16strong]

Wouldn't accounting be one of those degrees you could get totally online? It's not like nursing where you need hands-on experience in a lab and in a hospital.

I also have to wonder what the Duggars think about the Bateses being allowed to attend Crown. Do they get jealous or question why they can't do the same?

[BrownieMomma]

Wouldn't accounting be one of those degrees you could get totally online? It's not like nursing where you need hands-on experience in a lab and in a hospital.

I also have to wonder what the Duggars think about the Bateses being allowed to attend Crown. Do they get jealous or question why they can't do the same?

I don't know what all kind of degrees you can get totally online, from what kind of colleges. Every university offers more and more distance education but at my alma mater you cannot yet obtain a degree just from online courses.

[HarleyQuinn]

I'm pretty sure you can get an accounting degree online, probably even from a community college.

[Free Them All]

I am betting that the more likely scenario is that Jim Boob asked Josiah to help him with book keeping since Jim Boob is so illiterate. I think Josiah's interests and dreams are still unknown.

[BrownieMomma]

I'm pretty sure you can get an accounting degree online, probably even from a community college.

Community colleges don't issue bachelor's degrees. An associate's degree is okay if you plan to be a bookkeeper or para-professional.

I work as an accountant for a university. I am not a CPA but am in the process. Everyone who is accountant level on up has at least a bachelor's degree in accounting. Everyone definitely has grad school hours. Some have a master's degree, some a CPA, some have both.

Someone who is going to be supporting a family, why be limited to lower level work?

Even Derick is probably going to have to get some grad school or get a master's or go more into business like an MBA if he wants to advance very far.

If he wants to open a practice, he has to be a CPA, most businesses need a CPA to issue financials, compilations, audit, etc. They aren't going to bother with someone who can't do these things.

[BrownieMomma]

I am betting that the more likely scenario is that Jim Boob asked Josiah to help him with book keeping since Jim Boob is so illiterate. I think Josiah's interests and dreams are still unknown.

That is likely, I agree. How would Josiah have the foggiest idea of what a CPA does.

[OneFifthQuiverFull]

Community colleges don't issue bachelor's degrees.

I

I was going to counter and say that mine does, but then I realized you were right. Mine offers a BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) but they accredited as a state school instead of a county/community college to be able to do just that.

That said, it has gone from a CC to a SC, but you can still get the majority of your schooling in online classes. We may have to go to school for proctored exams or collabs, but it's not completely out of the question to get most - if not all - of your studies done on line.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Wouldn't accounting be one of those degrees you could get totally online? It's not like nursing where you need hands-on experience in a lab and in a hospital.

I also have to wonder what the Duggars think about the Bateses being allowed to attend Crown. Do they get jealous or question why they can't do the same?

Maybe Josiah did ask that question and that's how he ended up at ALERT?

[FJismyheadship]

WAIT!!!

When did the idea of becoming an accountant come about?

How long do we know for sure the Duggars and Dillards have known each other?

Any chance Josiah/Jim Bob got the idea from Cathy/Derick?

[AussieSisterMum]

Does anyone really think Jim Boob coughed up the funds to send Josiah to ALERT? Surely being from the ATI royal family would entitle one to a freebie or at least a hefty discount.

[calimojo]

I thought Josiah actually said himself that he wanted to be an accountant?

I would hate it if he got into conservative politics like Josh. He just doesn't seem the type. I honestly wonder if he believes everything his parents tell him? That could just be me hoping he's quietly rebelling. lol

I keep wondering how they could NOT believe everything their parents tell them. What else do they know? They are only allowed to socialize with like-minded families, are restricted from reading books that would have other ideas, are restricted with TV, internet, current events, and they see their Parents honored by people where ever they go. I just don't see how these kids will ever NOT believe their parents, unless they totally get away from them for a period of time.

I doubt that would happen for him at ALERT, since it seems to have the purpose of reinforcing all the Gothard stuff.

I think Derick is currently on board the Duggar Train. He seems like a nice and intelligent guy, but he also seems to admire Jim Bob and the lifestyle, so he clearly doesn't have the best judgment. I do hope that after a while, that Derick will start to see that the Emperor has no clothes, and that by then he and Jill will be strong enough to being some separation.

Someone upthread mentioned they could see Josiah and Derick getting along and I would agree with that. Maybe Josiah, James, and Derick can gently open Jill's mind.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I feel bad for Josiah :( Sent off to Gothard boot camp and ignored. He has been for ages now :(

[Free Them All]

I feel bad for Josiah :( Sent off to Gothard boot camp and ignored. He has been for ages now :(

Maybe he likes to be away from the family....just a thought....I would.

[Four is Enough]

Maybe he likes to be away from the family....just a thought....I would.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: ALERT might be a reprieve for Josiah. Sure, he's working very hard, and he's indoctrinated. But, sensitive guy that he really does seem to be, he can live inside his head quite a bit.. and there's fresh air and sunshine, and there's a schedule, and there's a place where he's just "one of the guys"... not part of a giant dog and pony show. I'm hoping that he's kind of "hiding out" there..

[HarleyQuinn]

Except the few pictures we've seen of Josiah since being at ALERT, he's had that "dead in the eyes" look. I just have a hard time believing he's there by choice.

[BrownieMomma]

Josiah at ALERT for the long-term seems like such an incredible waste. He's 18, he obtained his GED, it's time for Siah to move on into his adult life. ALERT isn't going to do much for him, but it is keeping him closer to childhood than adulthood, unless he plans on working there for his adult career.

It's kind of a stretch to think that Josiah is distancing himself from his family by choosing to be at ALERT. The program is indoctrination into Gothard. The community, Big Sandy, is an ultra conservative small town. Josiah can get distance from his parents, but he's still deep in that Gothard culture - in no way is ALERT an escape route from Gothardism.

[Four is Enough]

- in no way is ALERT an escape route from Gothardism.

Nope, but it might be a place where he can just go along saying what he needs to say to stay off the radar, and figure out how he might get himself away for good from all of it.

[BrownieMomma]

Nope, but it might be a place where he can just go along saying what he needs to say to stay off the radar, and figure out how he might get himself away for good from all of it.

I just don't follow that line of reasoning.

Josiah might be away from the TTH, but he is still fully immersed in that culture. ALERT isn't preparing him for any kind of future, unless maybe it applies to firefighting or policing or armed services? Josiah is just place holding, and he's probably there because of his attitude, starting with not being happy to hear Jubilee's conception announcement. He is probably not going to get out of ALERT until they've beaten it out of him. Hopefully not literally.

I feel certain that there are probably no cell phones allowed, no TV watching, no Internet access. I don't see how Josiah could be figuring out how to get away for good.

I want to see Josiah freed. I want all the Duggar kids to have a true and free choice to accept their parent's lifestyle. So far none of them have had that.

[Coco]

I just don't follow that line of reasoning.

Josiah might be away from the TTH, but he is still fully immersed in that culture. ALERT isn't preparing him for any kind of future, unless maybe it applies to firefighting or policing or armed services? Josiah is just place holding, and he's probably there because of his attitude, starting with not being happy to hear Jubilee's conception announcement. He is probably not going to get out of ALERT until they've beaten it out of him. Hopefully not literally.

I feel certain that there are probably no cell phones allowed, no TV watching, no Internet access. I don't see how Josiah could be figuring out how to get away for good.

I want to see Josiah freed. I want all the Duggar kids to have a true and free choice to accept their parent's lifestyle. So far none of them have had that.

i agree, but there's more to ALERT than just those three examples. Plus he is around a lot of people who aren't family. Peers and adults from various backgrounds with a lot of experiences to discuss. Whole families work there (just going off of some friends i knew), so it's not just a lot of guys only. While everything may be centered around Gothardism, that entire worldview has been shaken to it's core this year. I'm sure a lot of the ALERT guys are questioning beliefs, and have pretty interesting discussions on hikes or sitting around after their work. It's got to be so much more interesting than the TTH and the TLC film scripts for a guy like Josiah.

His sad photos could also be because of how everything is changing in the Duggar family, and some of the foundations of their belief systems are crumbling. He's smart enough to realize how difficult it's going to be to transition into mainstream life. His struggles really could be more than just punishment, though i agree that discipline for attitudes seems like part of the equation.

[Dandruff]

I hope he's making friends there - people who he can share ideas with, "serve" with, visit with later, meet others with. Even if the place is totally Gothard, I think it's good for him to be expanding his circle of contacts. One thing could lead to another and he might find a job/wife/way out. I realize I'm engaging in wishful thinking...but maybe?

[HarleyQuinn]

Holy shit, Pickles and Hairspray posted new Josiah pictures. Hopefully he's out for good and not just for Jessa's impending wedding.

I think I spend way too much time worrying about this dude. lol

[ADoyle90815]

I hope he's making friends there - people who he can share ideas with, "serve" with, visit with later, meet others with. Even if the place is totally Gothard, I think it's good for him to be expanding his circle of contacts. One thing could lead to another and he might find a job/wife/way out. I realize I'm engaging in wishful thinking...but maybe?

That's also what I'm hoping, that he's making friends even if it's totally Gothard. Also, it's possible that he could meet his future wife there, which is something JB would approve of, courting and marrying another cult member.

[Mama Mia]

If he's the kitchen manager he might also be getting some training in culinary arts, or hospitality services, or even just basic small business management.

Running a large kitchen would likely require budgeting, ordering, scheduling, meeting OSHA standards, safety, training of cadets and/ or other staff, Human Resources, time management, nutrition, negotiating with vendors , etc.etc.etc.... He's probably also having to learn and use various bookkeeping skills and accounting software.

Operating a cafeteria is no easy task.

[LadyBlue]

I don't know about online, but it is totally possible to get a degree without ever attending university. A REAL degree, not College Minus. We have a distance education university in my province that has been offering long distance university classes for several decades. I took one over summer vacation to get a class I needed as a pre-requisite for a required class at my university. A few years later I tried taking a second degree through them, but for student loans I needed a full course load. It's crazy how much harder a full course load is by correspondence, I got too far behind after 2 semesters.

I'm sure Josiah could do something like that a couple courses at a time. If he got the opportunity.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

I don't think there is any way that JB is paying full price for all the kids they have sent through ALERT and JTTH. He and ole' Gil are getting a huge discount or "scholarships" for their kids.

Posted prices for the retreats and training are pretty hefty. I am sure ATI sees it as good advertising to have the Duggar and Bates kids come through and then even gets them back as free labor once they become "counselors".