Behind many good House masters is an army of elves--Santa's helpers of sorts, who assist with House functions in exchange for free room and board.

For House masters, who juggle professional life along with heavy responsibilities at the House, elves play a crucial role in carrying off House events like teas and open houses.

"They always save the day," says Pforzheimer House Co-Master M. Suzanne McCarthy, recalling a former elf who worked as a flight attendant and would fly in desserts from Paris for House events.

While technically open to anyone willing to spend between 10 and 15 hours each week to organize, cook for and clean up after House events such as teas and open houses, the posts are most often filled by grad students, teaching fellows and recent graduates--lured by free Cambridge housing.

And while the seven Houses that use live-in help say the elves' presence adds to House life and community, in a time when Houses are more cramped then ever, some wonder whether housing elves is the best use of College space.

The Best-Kept Non-Secret

Little known on campus, the elf system has been in existence for at least 20 years, according to Quincy House Co-Master Marjorie L. North.

Known more formally as Masters' Resident Assistants (MRA), the "elf" name is indigenous to Quincy House, where North says it "just stuck."

With the chief responsibility of overseeing biweekly open houses, elves also help with other events such as holiday parties, junior parents weekend receptions and Commencement events.

In the five Houses that don't employ elves, students are paid to help with House events.

Experience in elves, however, is not required.

In one case, according to North, an elf was hired who did not know how to cook. Soon after being hired, however, he astounded the attendees at an open house with an array of wonderful cream puffs.

North says the elf later confided to her the secret to his success: long phone calls to his mother, who guided him through the recipe step-by-step.

With his ear at the phone, North says, he later went on to bake jelly and cocoa rolls.

In another instance, North says, a doctoral student accepted a job as an elf despite the fact that she had "no idea how to boil water, open a bottle of wine, plan for a party, water plants, walk a dog or any other household activity."

But by the end of her experience, she had mastered the job, North says.

"She said she learned more about life as an MRA than in any other endeavor at Harvard," North writes in an e-mail message.

Cabot House Master James H. Ware says one of his former assistants had a passion for gourmet cooking--but tended to ignore quantity in her obsession with quality.

The result, Ware says, was that often only a handful of the 100 or so guests at open houses were able to enjoy her dozen cookies or single loaf of bread.

Now, Ware says, Cabot is benefiting from the strength of an ex-football player who is great for carrying groceries and shifting heavy furniture.

More often then not, though, the position draws people who are comfortable in the kitchen.

Veronika Cveckova, an assistant to the masters in Winthrop House and a student at Harvard Divinity School, says she took the job because of all the cooking.

"You get to cook, and I love cooking," she says.

Many masters and elves say having elves around the House is not only helpful to House staff but strengthens House community.

Ware says the MRA system is an "amazing" part of House life, and says he enjoys seeing elves get involved in House activities.

This year, he says, one of the Cabot MRAs is a student at the Graduate School of Design and took students on a field trip to the Big Dig to explain the design context of the road system.

A Good Fit?

But in an era when some Houses feel more overcrowded than ever, a master's decision to hire elves may be driven largely by available space in the House.

Ware says that masters have to make choices on how best to use their extra rooms. He says Houses often have a few free rooms that can not be used as dorms, usually because they are too isolated or are situated in the masters' residence.

These can be rented out for resident scholars, he says, but are often given for free in exchange for the services of MRAs.

Mather does not employ MRAs because there are no extra rooms available for them, according to House Co-Master Leigh G. Hafrey '73.

Instead, he says 20 House residents help with House events on a rotating basis.

"[It's] a big rolling party--it brings a lot of people into the residence," he says.

Fiona A. Torres '02, who co-supervises the Mather workers, says she was surprised to hear about the elf system.

"I was shocked when I found out other Houses offered free housing for this," said Fiona A. Torres '02, "Quite frankly, I think it's a little ridiculous."

Doing the job as a student, says co-supervisor Ashley A. Dayer '02, can be a great change of pace.

"It's an escape from normal student life--doing something that I enjoy that's completely non-academic," Dayer says. "We hang out in a to-die-for kitchen, chat with other students and our masters, and make our favorite treats."