is this the simplest way to put a delay into a script?

Lifted from the GECK page:

float timerbegin gamemode   if timer < 5      set timer to timer + GetSecondsPassed   else      ;5 seconds have passed, do something special      set timer to 0   endifend

Does this function any differently if injected into the middle of a Begin OnActivate?

I think it might require a second activate. If that's the case, then you could write the timer start in the OnActivate and the timer end in the GameMode. Activating the activator starts the timer, then when the time is up the code s run in the GameMode block. But I'm no expert on this.

if there was any way to see a simple example of how to get a delay to occur within an activate, I'd really appreciate it

SCN MyTimerShort StartTimerFloat TimerBegin OnActivate	Set StartTimer to 1	Set Timer to 10 	;or what ever you want your timer to beEndBegin GameMode	If StartTimer		If Timer > 0			Set Timer to Timer - GetSeccondsPassed		Else			;DoStuff			Set StartTimer to 0		Endif	EndifEnd

Timers do not work inside an OnActivate block of code. These only run one time and will not capture time passing.
You set a variable in the OnActivate and then check for that variable in the GameMode block. Like what pkleiss has above.