Oracle 8i - PL/SQL sub query not working in PROC, but works ins SQL

Question

I have read about certain things not working in 8i and I think this is one of them, but I was wondering if anyone had a work around. In the place of the SELECT SYSDATE FROM DUAL, I have a table look up, where I am going to look up the OCN of the corresponding VENDOR_ID ( a column in the original query ). I am doing it in a decode statement because if the first condition in the decode statement is met, that's it. But if not, it needs to look up the OCN number in this other table. Simple enough, conceptually. I thought of a view but that necessitates a SELECT statement, too. Anyway, here is the code with the appropriate text bolded:
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE tstINS_RATE_ROUTE_RECORDS_PROC (GET_CUR_PERIOD IN DATE) IS
     CUR_PERIOD DATE;
     BEGIN
     CUR_PERIOD := GET_CUR_PERIOD;
     Insert into RATE_ROUTE (
       CVBI_KEY
     , VENDOR_ID
     , OCN
     , ST_CD
     , PERIOD
     , MDFY_DT )
     Select
       C.CVBI_KEY
     , C.VENDOR_ID
     <b>, decode( c.send_lca, 'YES', 'XXX', (SELECT SYSDATE FROM DUAL) )</b>
     , decode( c.send_lca, 'YES', 'XX', SUBSTR(C.ZLOC,5,2) )
     , CUR_PERIOD
     , TO_CHAR(SYSDATE)
     FROM
       rpt_ds1_cnt_cat c
     , cogs_resource cr
     , cogs_t1activity ct1
     , rpt_ds1_aloc_zloc_reverse_vw az
     where (C.CVBI_KEY = CR.CVBI_KEY (+)
     and  CR.PERIOD = CUR_PERIOD)
     AND  (C.CVBI_KEY = CT1.CVBI_KEY (+)
     and CT1.PERIOD = CUR_PERIOD)
     and (az.master_route_name=c.aloc||'-'||c.zloc OR az.reversed=c.aloc||'-'||c.zloc)
     END; -- INS_RATE_ROUTE_RECORDS_PROC

Answer 1

have read about certain things not working in 8i and I think this is one of them,Yes as I said scalar sub-queries were also not recognized within PL/SQL in 8i.
Re: PLS-00103: Encountered the symbol "SELECT" when expecting one of the fo
I was wondering if anyone had a work around.Write a function that returns the value. You may incur a performance penalty from a context switch to PL/SQL, but it may be balanced by the decode optimization you are attempting.