Prize-winning Evaluation - how to do it

I (Angela Lansbury) am on the right with my two ribbons for Table topics and Evaluation. On the left is our warm and encouraging Toastmaster of the Evening, Mandy Carlin. 

I heard Lynn Cantor, last year's UK and Ireland Evaluation Prize Winner, speaking three times in workshops. The first time I admit I had trouble paying attention and sat at the back and what she said bored me, but the second time it sounded interesting, although I could not remember it, yet the third time, wow, either she had improved enormously or 'the penny had dropped' in my brain. Her vital messages got through about how to evaluate what you hear and see and write succinct one word reminder.
    The first time I tried to evaluate table topics I had trouble remembering who said what. To sum it up, you divide your page in half. Don't bother listing commend, recommend, commend. (Praise, suggest how to improve, praise.) Just put one or two good things on the left, one or two good things on the right.
   I started with the first name of the person called out as a heading. I ended comments on each person with a line across the page - otherwise you lose track of who your comment describes.
   I admit I wrote not in a proper book (Lynn recommended keeping a book just for all your evaluation.) I borrowed a pen and wrote on the back of the agenda. After reaching the end of the page I wrote up the side margin - then onto another page, marked 2. Yuk!
   In the break I remedied this. I copied all the comments onto one page neatly, with just a one word summary of each point.
   The page was headed TOPIC EVALUATIONS (date) by Angela. Keep/File.
(If I dropped the paper, it would be returned to me.)
the left column was headed by a tick. The right column was headed by a cross.
Once or twice I got the praise on the right or the recommend on the left. I drew circles and arrows to show where the comments should be.
When the timer gave the timings I was able to check I'd got the person's name in capitals and underlined, and circled. Then i wrote the topic in small letters circled beside the name.
First comment was sub-heading Eric - Age.
That enabled me to start confidently, "The first topic was Eric on age."
In the left hand box I wrote: smile laugh happy
In the right hand box I wrote: Pull up trousers.

   My comment was: Eric's topic was age. Most people are gloomy about age. He smiled from the start, looked happy, kept us happy, and laughed. He began happy, continued happy, and ended happy.
The only recommendation is about the moment when he pulled up his trousers. After that I was worried they were going to fall down! Great happy topic.

Prabha - Chocolates. (Life is a box of chocolates.)
Key words: Success.
Recommend - Touch Nose.
Recommend - Mid-way through the topic you thought and grasped your nose. No need. It won't fall off, I promise.
Book: Quick Quotations by Angela Lansbury. Lulu.com