A crouching Cub positioned ready for the Grand Howl. The Grand Howl is carried out at the beginning of a Cub Pack meeting. When the Leader (Akela) starts the meeting, the Cubs squat in a circle on their heels, with their hands on the floor in front of them, as young wolves would do. Traditionally, they throw up their heads and howl, which means they welcome the Leader and are ready to listen. The final act of the Grand Howl is a shout, 'Akela, we'll do our best!' after which they jump up and make the Scout salute. This replicates the Wolf Pack meeting from Rudyard Kipling’s 'The Jungle Book', whereby Akela (the old wolf) stood on a rock, and the Pack sat in a circle around it. Over the years Cub Packs have created their own variations of the ceremony.