[12][13] In the wild, wolves howl to assemble the pack usually before and after hunts, to pass on an alarm particularly at a den site, to locate each other during a storm or while crossing unfamiliar territory, and to communicate across great distances.

By the time of the launch of the scheme, Baden-Powell had obtained the approval of his friend and neighbor, Rudyard Kipling, to use the Jungle Book as a theme.

The Cubs would act out scenes from the stories, and the adult leaders would adopt the names of characters from the book.

In the first chapter, he describes the following scene in The Jungle Book and provides some additional context for the Grand Howl ceremony: The wolves all sat round the council rock in a circle, and when Akela, the old wolf, the head of the pack, took his place on the rock, they all threw up their heads and howled their greeting to him.

[17]The original instructions for the Grand Howl, described by Vera Barclay and Baden-Powell in The Wolf Cub's Handbook.

The call of the Pack all over the world is “We’ll do our best”; so when your Cubmaster comes into the circle you chuck up your chins and, all together, you howl out — making each word a long yowl: “Ah-kay-la!

— We-e-e-e-ll do-o-o-o o-o-o-u-u-r BEST.” Yell the word “best” sharp and loud and short and all together; and at the same time spring to your feet with two fingers of each hand pointing upwards at each side of your head, to look like two wolf’s ears.

After the fourth “dob” each Cub drops his right hand smartly to his side and stands at the “Alert” and waits for orders.

Although the Grand Howl was to be retained, it was revised, replacing the "dybs" with plain language to "make the significance clearer to parents and public".

[27][28] The following version is used in French speaking Packs: A-a-a K-é-é La-a, De... no... tre... mieux!

Baden-Powell describes how the Brownies should begin in a squatting position, in the same way as the Cub equivalent, but repeating "Tu-whit, tu-whit, Tu-whoo-oo" three times, each time getting louder and rising higher, until at the end of the third repetition, the Brownies were to jump in the air and clap their hands above their heads.

[36] A Wolf Cub Grand Howl takes place in George Orwell's A Clergyman's Daughter.